What's Past is Prologue
by Authoress-in-training
Summary: After last year's insanity, all Alyssa wants is to enjoy her sophomore year. Too bad the fates don't have that in mind for her. PART 2 OF 3
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

"Alyssa!" The first thing I saw when I stepped foot into the common room of Suite 12 – where my five best friends and I had lived for all of last year and would be living again – was a blur of blond hair and tanned limbs as my best friend Lola attacked me in a massive hug.

"Uh… Lola? I kinda can't breathe here," I said, carefully extracting myself from her death grip. Holding her at arm's length so she couldn't squish me again, I examined her from head to toe, taking in the newly highlighted blond hair and flawless tan, perfect figure (I don't know why she always complains about being fat), and wide hazel eyes that sparkled with their old mischief. Oh how I had missed her.

"Sorry," Lola said, pulling me close to her again for a less tight hug, then pulled back to examine me. "Wow, you look fantastic! Did you get skinnier?"

"I wish," I said, dropping my bags onto the ground so they wouldn't get in the way. "How was your summer?"

"Awesome, as always," Lola said, picking up a few of my bags and heading towards my room, the room I had previously shared with Princess Taylor of Eraklyon. (_That_ was a nightmare I'm happy is over. Don't even get me _started_ on what she did. Let's just say it was a long, twisted, nearly fatal story that wound up with a very happy ending). Now that Taylor was gone (and in rehab, the last I'd heard), I would probably have a single – an idea I relished the thought of. But even another roommate would probably be better than Taylor. Scratch that – anyone else would _definitely_ be better than Taylor. "How was yours?

"Oh, it was _so_ cool…" I started, grabbing the rest of my bags and heading towards the open door of my new single. But before I could go into all the fabulous details of my summer (including a blissful two weeks in Eraklyon with my boyfriend Ryan – _swoon_), the door to the rest of the school opened, and Melody and Aqua barreled through. "Mel! Aqua!" I cried, dropping my bags to the ground and barely hearing Lola's squeak of pain as they landed on her exposed toes as I ran towards my two edgier friends.

"Alyssa!" Mel cried, dropping her stuff to squeeze me in a hug. "How was your summer?"

"Awesome – and yours?"

Mel's eyes lit up. "Oh my god, I had _the best_ time. My mom went on tour, and took me with her. I got to see _so_ many cool realms! And I got you all little presents."

"Hey – what about me?" Aqua faux-whined, throwing her arms around my neck. "Alyssa! Girl, I missed you! How was your summer? And better yet, how was _Ryan_?" She grinned suggestively, and I blushed, which just made her grin wider. "Come on, spill!"

"Spill? Spill what?" another familiar voice asked from behind us, and I looked up from over Aqua's shoulder to see our other two suitemates, Ivy and Digit (who goes by Dee) standing behind Mel and Aqua, also carrying suitcases.

"Dee! Ives! Oh my God, how are you guys!" I squealed, pushing past Aqua to squeeze them in a group hug.

"Calm down, Alyssa," Ivy giggled, extracting herself from the clump. "You look so cute! Did you do something new with your hair?"

"You like?" I asked, pulling sections of my long, bright red hair out in front of my face, which was freshly streaked with orangey-gold highlights. "Mom was looking at some old photo albums over the summer, and decided to get her hair streaked Enchantix-style at the salon. And then the hairdresser looked at me and insisted I get streaks too, because we had such similar hair and facial structures. Does it look good?"

"It looks _awesome_!" Lola exclaimed, coming up from behind me to join the clump. "I _knew_ there was something new about you." She studied my appearance again. "You know, the streaks really bring out your eyes."

"Thanks," I said, for once not feeling ashamed about my eye color. Last year if someone so much as mentioned my odd golden eyes, I'd freak out, but it was a new year now. I'd made peace with that issue.

"Alyssa? Hello, 'Liss? You there?" Lola snapped her fingers in front of my face, and I blinked rapidly before the world refocused in front of my eyes again.

"Sorry, Lola," I blushed. "Just thinking about my family again."

"That's right, you guys moved back into the palace," Mel said, her voice losing its volume briefly as she deposited her bags into the room she shared with Aqua. "How was it?"

"I'm not gonna lie, being a princess is pretty awesome," I answered somewhat bashfully, as Dee, Ivy, and Aqua picked up their stuff and dropped it in their respective rooms.

"Well _of course_, dahling," Lola exclaimed, in an overdone fake high-society accent. "It's simply the _only_ way to live."

"Knock it off, Lola," Aqua called from her room. "But yeah, I have to admit, it's pretty sweet sometimes. So what do you like the best, Alyssa?"

"Honestly? The best part about being back home was spending time with my family, not the palace. It was amazing, of course, but nothing could compare to having my mom back… and seeing my dad loosen up a bit."

Dee laughed. "From what you've told us last year, your dad sounded like a real stick in the mud. I'm glad he's finally loosened up a bit."

"Stick in the mud? More like stick up his _butt_," Lola giggled.

"Whatever the reason, it's cool that your family's back together. My mom's told me stories about herself as a teenager, and she and her dad didn't always have the best father-daughter relationship… not to mention her mom is dead…" Mel trailed off, lost in thought.

"So, on another note, how was the rest of your summer?" Aqua asked, wiggling her eyebrows mischievously. "Particularly the two weeks you spent on _Er-ak-ly-on_?"

I laughed. "I had an amazing time with Ryan. The only downside was seeing his dad. Poor guy always looked so… lifeless. And it seemed to get worse every time he looked at me."

Ryan's dad and my mom dated in high school, and apparently he never got over her, even when she broke up with him, ran off to restore her frozen planet, and married Dad. Taylor had blamed me for quote, 'ruining her life' by claiming that he'd spiraled into a deep depression after she left him, and after meeting him for myself, I couldn't help but feel like maybe she had actually been sort of right. (Not to the extent she'd taken it, of course, because she was insane, but still.) It made me feel bad. "I wish I knew some way to make him feel better," I mused.

"Look at our 'Liss, trying to help her boyfriend's family with their problems," Ivy cooed. "Could this urge stem from some other desire? Like perhaps the desire to someday be his daughter-in-law?"

"Ivy!" I squealed, whipping a pillow from the nearby couch at her head.

"Pillow fight? Aw man, why didn't anybody tell me?" Aqua exclaimed, poking her head out from her and Mel's room.

"Pillow fight?" Mel asked, barely containing her excitement.

I laughed. "Not now, guys. We have to unpack."

Mel pouted. "Tonight, then?"

"Why not?" Dee said, looking up from her tiny portable laptop. "We could make snacks and do manicures and dish about our summers. A pillow fight would be the perfect ending."

"Sounds like fun," Ivy said. "Count me in." Then she disappeared into her room, with Dee following at her heels.

"Alright! Pillow fight!" Mel exclaimed joyfully. "I'm there."

"Me too," Aqua seconded, before they too headed inside their shared room to unpack.

"I guess it's official, then," Lola said, pausing at the door to her single. "You gonna be alright with no help, 'Liss? You've got a single now, after all."

I smiled just thinking about my new, large, spacious room, which I had _all to myself_. "I'll be okay. See you later, Lola."

"Later." Then she pulled the door shut behind her.

I busied myself unpacking for the rest of the afternoon, finding it so much easier to fit all of my clothes and other personal items now that I had all the closet and drawer space in the room. (Of course, last year Taylor had hogged most of the drawers and all of the closet, so anything would've been better and easier to fit into). When I finally finished, I headed back to the common room, hoping to find some of my friends lazing about, reading magazines or sharing summer stories. To my dismay, it was empty.

_Oh well_, I thought. _They're probably still packing or already finished and went off to do… whatever it is they do in their spare time._ My friends have very different interests, united as we are in the next generation of the Winx Club.

_The Winx Club_. Shivers went down my spine just thinking about it. Years ago, our mothers took on the moniker while they stopped evil-doers from taking over the magical dimension. And now, thanks to a quirky teacher named Mirta last year, we were adopting the name ourselves, as the next generation.

I spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the school, seeking out acquaintances from last year and avoiding the icy stares of the mean girls behind my back. Finally, it was dinner time, and I met my friends at the dining hall.

"Hey there 'Liss, where were you this afternoon?" Mel asked, as I slid in next to Lola with my tray of salad and pasta.

"Where were _you_?" I countered. "I was looking for you guys when I finished unpacking and nada."

"Sorry," Aqua said, taking a sip of her soda. "I dragged Mel and Lola down to the beach with me when we finished unpacking. My volleyball team was having a match, and we're only allowed to leave campus in groups of threes… and I knew Lola would be up for some sun-bathing…"

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. _So_ Aqua. "It's okay, I forgive you guys. I didn't really do much myself. Just walked around a bit and said hi to everyone."

"That reminds me," Lola said. "Chloe and Nikita came by earlier, and said some nasty stuff about you. Guess _some_ people didn't get the memo that you're not dangerous."

I sighed. I'd known this sort of thing was going to happen when I decided to come back to Alfea after last year, and so I wasn't all that surprised. "Ignore them. They're just jealous cows. Or rather, sheep with no shepherd, now that Taylor's gone."

"Good riddance is all I can say," Lola declared. "Things are so much better around here now with that _witch_ gone."

"Agreed," Aqua said.

"To Taylor's expulsion!" we cried, clinking our soda and water glasses together in a toast. Yes, it was petty and mean-spirited (not to mention old news), but it's also one of those things that never really gets old.

"Uch," Chloe scoffed, as she and Nikita slithered up next to our table. "Look, Nikki, it's _Freak Girl _and her little friends."

"How do you guys hang out with her?" Nikita chirped. "I mean, aren't you scared she'll like, lose her temper and blow you to bits, like her crazy dad?"

"Shut your mouth, Nikita, or I'll shut it for you," Mel snapped.

"Ooh, a threat from the little music fairy. What are you gonna do, blast loud music in my ears? Oh, I'm _so _scared!"

"Watch it, _Nikki_," Lola growled, clenching her hands into fists.

"Look, she's angry," Chloe taunted. "What's gonna happen now?"

"All of you stop this _right now_!" Ms Faragonda snapped, appearing out of nowhere. "Girls, calm down. All this fighting is not what we stand for here at Alfea. Chloe, Nikita, I hope you two got your kicks, because for the next two weeks you'll be reporting directly to me after classes for detention."

"What?" Chloe whined.

"No fair!" Nikita piped in.

Ms F smirked. "Maybe you should've thought about that before saying such rude things about a fellow student. I'll see you tomorrow afternoon."

Chloe and Nikita sulked off, presumably go to torture some other unsuspecting students before a teacher caught them. "Thank you, Ms Faragonda," I said.

"No problem, Alyssa," she smiled back at me. "I'd hoped that over the summer this whole mess would blow over, but evidently it didn't. I'm so sorry you have to go through this."

"It's not your fault. I knew things like this were bound to happen again when I came back." I sighed. "Some girls are just really immature, aren't they?"

"Yes they are," Ms Faragonda agreed, shaking her head and smiling at me. "If it doesn't get better soon, don't hesitate to tell me, dear."

"Of course."

"Hey, 'Liss? You coming?" Lola called out to me from the doorway to the dining hall. "We're gonna go start our girls' night in."

"Coming!" I called back. "See you tomorrow morning, Ms F."

"See you tomorrow, Alyssa," she called. "Wait – there's something I need to tell y–"

But I was already running down the hallway to Suite 12, and never heard what she said.

When I got back, all the other girls were already in their pajamas, setting up movies and popcorn and placing pillows everywhere. "Alyssa, get into your PJs already!" Lola chirped.

"Then come settle the movie debate!" Aqua cried from the DVD player. "We're trying to figure out what to watch."

"Alright, I'm coming, I'm coming," I said, laughing. "Just give me five minutes."

I crossed the common room to the doors to my room, opened them, and slipped inside.

"Hello, Princess Alyssa," a voice said from behind me. I whirled around in shock to see a girl sitting on the bed on the other side of my room.

She was tall and slim, with golden-tanned skin and long, wavy blond hair that tumbled down her back in soft curls. Her clothes fit her slender figure perfectly – a cream white peasant mini-dress with long genie sleeves and a slashed V-neckline, and flat gold gladiator sandals, with a pretty, intricately swirled gold choker necklace around her neck that had an aquamarine pendant in the center. The pendant matched her eyes – a beautiful blue-green color, like the sea on a warm summer day.

"Who are you? And how do you know my name?" I asked, taking in the side of the room she was sitting on. Unfamiliar turquoise and white bedding on the bed… a white shag throw rug… white cubic furniture… posters on the walls that had definitely not been there when I left for dinner… tan suede and leather suitcases sitting half-opened by the closet…

The girl on the bed raised her eyebrow. "Didn't anyone tell you?"

"Tell me what?" I asked, staring at her some more. Her resemblance to Taylor was uncanny. It was starting to freak me out.

She smiled. "I'm your new roommate."

* * *

**Author's Note: ...And so another year at Alfea begins for Alyssa & Co!**

**For anyone happening upon this story for the first time who's gotten this far and is like "What?", this is the second book in a trilogy. I strongly recommend reading the first, called What Comes Next, before you read this one.**

**Returning readers, enjoy! The second year promises to be even crazier than the first - like I'd give you anything else? And I will say one thing: this mystery girl is most certainly _not_ Taylor. Other than that, you'll have to use your imaginations...**

**Updates should be forthcoming. Of course, if you want them faster, you know the magic word... (hint: it starts with an "R" and ends with a "-eview" ;-)**

**Peace out!**

**- Authoress**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"My what?"

"I'm your new roommate," the pretty blond repeated, staring at me like I had some sort of hearing problem. "Oh silly me, where are my manners? My name is Miriam. Lady Miriam of Isis."

Isis… why did that name sound so familiar?

Miriam continued. "I was home-schooled by my mom until this year. She got a special research grant from the Magix Council for her study of dead planets, so she decided to send me to Alfea to continue my education."

"So… you're my new roommate," I said slowly, trying to comprehend this. She looked so much like Taylor it was freaking me out.

Miriam rolled her eyes. "Were you not listening to anything I just said?"

I blushed. "Oh… s-sorry. I just… I was under the impression that I was going to have a single this year. After what happened with my last roommate…" I didn't go into further details, not wanting to scare Miriam.

She clucked her tongue. "Oh yes, I remember hearing that story. You used to room with Princess Taylor, didn't you? It made the news back home when she and her mother moved back into the palace. Quite a story." Miriam peered at me cautiously. "Are the… stories… really true?"

"What stories?" I asked, as the information started to click. Isis… that was the name of Taylor's mother's home realm…

"That you're Baltor's daughter."

Instantly I stiffened. "Yes."

"I thought so, from those eyes," she continued casually. "I've always liked the idea of golden eyes, but you have to have a certain type of look to pull them off. You make it work, by the way. And I love the hair. _So_ chic."

I was flattered, despite myself. No one had ever given me a compliment for my eyes. The closest I'd ever come was that they were "unique," which wasn't really too much of a compliment considering who it was coming from.

"What's taking so long, 'Liss?" Lola poked her head through the door, clad in a cute tangerine orange silk pajama set with bright yellow daisies printed all over it, her bright blond hair twisted up into a knot and secured with a pencil. Noticing Miriam, she added, "Oh, _he_llo. Who are you?"

"Lady Miriam of Isis, at your service," Miriam replied, outstretching a hand for Lola to shake. Lola shook it warily, staring at me questioningly behind her back the whole time. "I'm Alyssa's new roommate and your new dorm-mate, I suppose. Princess Lola of Solaria, right? Lovely to meet you."

"Y-you too," Lola stammered.

"Hey Alyssa, you're missing the movie!" Aqua exclaimed, as she and Mel popped through the open door. Aqua, befitting her usual funky style, wore a short turquoise satin spaghetti-strap nightgown with a ruffled hem, while Mel was clad in a pair of red silk genie pants with tiny gold flowers printed on them and a red camisole with honey-gold trim. "Hey, who's this?" she asked, staring at Miriam.

"I'm Lady Miriam, from Isis," Miriam said, shaking first Mel then Aqua's hand. "I'm Alyssa's new roommate, and therefore your new dorm-mate. It's nice to meet you two."

"Nice to meet you too." Mel smiled, although the smile didn't quite reach her eyes. I could tell she was making the same mental connection that I had – Miriam sure looked a _lot_ like Taylor.

"Hey, why'd you guys leave us out of the party?" Ivy asked faux-accusingly, as she and Dee joined the queue at my door. She did a double take when her eyes landed on Miriam. "And you are…?"

"I'm Lady Miriam of Isis. Alyssa's new roommate and your new dorm-mate."

"B-but… Ms F didn't say anything about Alyssa having a roommate… I thought after what happened last year Alyssa was getting a single…" Ivy stammered.

"It was a total last-minute thing. The Magix Council gave my mom the research grant she needed for her study of dead planets, so she sent me to Alfea; I used to be homeschooled."

There was a brief, awkward pause in the conversation, before Ivy said, "Well, Miriam, if you're going to be living here with us, why don't you throw on some pajamas and join us for our girl's night in? After all, we've all known each other for a year, but we don't know you yet, and you don't know us."

Miriam smiled. "That sounds great. Just give me a few minutes. Alyssa, don't you need to change too?"

I looked down at my denim skirt and pale blue T-shirt. "Yeah, probably. Give us a minute, guys, then we'll be right out."

"So… your friends don't really seem to like me much, do they?" Miriam asked, as we started changing.

I was taken back a bit by the bluntness of her statement. "Er…"

"Sorry… that was a little blunt, wasn't it? It's just… they didn't seem very welcoming."

"I think they're just a little shocked – just like me – that we have a new dorm-mate. After what happened last year…" I paused, debating whether to voice all of my thoughts to Miriam, then deciding to just put it all out there. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you look scarily like Princess Taylor. And… considering what happened last year, and that you're from Isis and all…"

"Right. I got it. Your friends don't trust me." Miriam studied me carefully. "And from the looks of it, neither do you, really."

My face flushed bright red. "I didn't say that…"

"You didn't have to." Miriam lowered her head, staring intently at the contents of her open dresser drawer. "Look, I understand. After what you went through last year, I'd be suspicious if you _weren't_ a little wary of me at first. But I promise – our looks and that we're both from Isis are the only thing Princess Taylor and I have in common. You don't have to worry about me doing something like she did to you. I just want to get a good magical education at Alfea and make some new friends. And while I know you're perfectly within your rights to have doubts about me at first, I hope eventually we can be really good friends. You fascinate me, Princess Alyssa. I'd love to get to know you better."

"Um…" I bit my bottom lip, unsure of how to respond to this. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry. You probably don't deserve this, Miriam; I'm sure you're a wonderful person, and I'd love to get to know you better too. It's not your fault that Taylor's a psychotic bitch. And if circumstances were different, we'd all probably welcome you with open arms and plates of Mel's famous peanut butter chocolate-chip cookies. Just… give it some time. Eventually the shock and suspicion will wear off."

"Thank you." Miriam turned to me, her face lit up in a smile. "I promise, I won't let you down." She crossed the space of the room and wrapped me in a tight hug.

Hesitantly, I raised my arms from my sides and hugged her back. As I did, I caught a whiff of something incredibly familiar. Where had I smelled that sweet, flowery perfume before?

Finally, Miriam let go. "So… let's get into our pajamas and go join your friends," she said, pulling out a pretty white nightgown patterned with blue flowers.

"Sounds like a plan," I agreed, still thinking about that perfume. I knew it was familiar… but from where?

Miriam slipped into her nightgown and headed out the door. "You coming?" she asked, pausing at the doorway. I looked down, realizing I was still in my skirt and T-shirt, and blushed.

"I'll be right there," I called, pulling out a pajama set from the top dresser drawer. It was harder to find things now, since Miriam had moved in and relocated a ton of my clothes. Frowning at what I thought was a pajama set but actually turned out to be a dress that had been a present from Lola, I frantically searched through my drawers, looking for one. Eventually, I tried looking in Miriam's drawers, thinking maybe she had left behind a few things by accident. While searching through the top dresser drawer, I felt my elbow connect with something cold and hard, like glass, then heard a soft thump as I accidentally knocked whatever it was off the top of Miriam's dresser.

"Shit," I muttered to myself as I saw that it was a perfume bottle, which was open and now spilling onto the floor. I had a few paper napkins tucked into my skirt from God knows where, so I hurriedly pulled them out and started soaking up the spilled perfume. As I picked up the perfume-soaked napkins, I breathed in big gulps of the scent. Instantly, my mind was transported to another time.

_ "You are _so_ not getting away with this."_

_ "How long did you think you could keep your dirty little secret?"_

_ "Those chains are reinforced with fairy dust. You can't break them. I can't have my bargaining chip run away from me, now can I?"_

_ "Better power down, or your precious little Alyssa goes _pop_! Just like a zit."_

_ "Did you really think it was going to be _that_ easy?"_

_ "I'm rubber and Alyssa's glue. What bounces off of me, sticks to you!" A vicious laugh, and then… darkness._

I shook my head almost violently, as I was jolted out of my flashback. Now I knew why that perfume seemed so familiar – it was Taylor's signature scent! She just used to wear it in big doses, rather than the smaller, more subtle amounts Miriam preferred.

"Alyssa?" Miriam poked her head in the door. "Are you coming?"

"Yeah… just one minute." She closed the door again, and I quickly cleaned up the rest of the spilled perfume and threw the used napkins in the trash. Grabbing the first pajamas I saw out of my opened dresser drawer, I threw them on and headed out to join my friends.

"It's about time, 'Liss," Lola whined. "We've been waiting forever to start the movie."

I laughed. "Well, I'm here now. What are we watching?"

"_Love, Forbidden_," Miriam chimed in, from her position on the couch between Aqua and Lola. "It's a killer movie."

I smiled. "Sounds good. So what are you waiting for? Press play already, Lola!"

Lola pressed play, and I settled into a comfy armchair to the left of the couch, watching as the opening credits flashed across the screen. As Dee jumped up and dimmed the lights for the full movie-viewing experience, I stole a glance at Miriam out of the corner of my eye. She looked perfectly normal, like she had been one of us forever. And who knew? Maybe, this was all just an innocent coincidence, and we'd all become best friends and the second-generation Winx Club would have a new member.

But maybe not.

* * *

**Author's Note: ****Ooh, mystery? So what do you all think of Miriam? Do you like her? What do you think **_**about**_** her? Is she good, or is she evil like Taylor? Only time will tell…**

**I have just one request, considering what happened with What Comes Next – please refrain from making guesses about the plotline (at least, guesses that give away major plot secrets) in your reviews. I'm not going to answer your questions anyway, because that would defeat the purpose of me writing the story in the first place. And some people don't figure everything out right away, and I don't want the plotline spoiled for them. So please? For me?**

**Later, everybody!**

**- Authoress**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"Hey, Miriam – what do you think of this dress on me?"

It was the second week of classes, and the back to school dance with Red Fountain was tonight. Because of our insanely busy class schedules, Ryan and I hadn't seen each other at all since getting back to Magix, so tonight would be the first time I'd be seeing him since I left Eraklyon this summer.

Suite 12 looked like a tornado had blown through it. All the doors were open, allowing everyone easy access to everyone else's rooms, which all looked like a pigsty. Clothes, shoes, dresses, jewelry, makeup, accessories, and everything under the sun that someone might possibly want to wear or use for the dance was strewn across the floor and furniture. Everyone was walking back and forth between our four rooms, trying on dresses and examining makeup palettes against their skin.

The particular dress I was wearing now belonged to Aqua. It was made of turquoise silk, in a wrap-around style with a halter neck that fell to a V-neck, revealing my collarbone and just enough cleavage to be tasteful. The skirt was long and layered, falling in asymmetrical panels of fabric around my legs to just around my knees.

"It's pretty, but…" Miriam started, examining me from every angle in the dress. "I don't know – something feels a little off about the color."

"Well then, what do you suggest I wear?" I tried not to sound impatient, but the dance started in half an hour and I _still_ didn't have a dress, not to mention accessories, hair and makeup.

"I have an idea…" Miriam walked out of our room and across the hall to Lola's single. After a few minutes of searching, she returned with something gold in her hands. "Here. Try this on."

I held it up against my body, trying to imagine what it would look like on. "You really think I can pull off gold? That it won't look too cartoonish with my red hair?"

"Alyssa, stop worrying. I think you'll look fabulous. It'll bring out your eyes. Now at least try it for me."

"Alright…" I sighed, taking off the turquoise dress. The fit was nice, at least, even though it belonged to supermodel-skinny Lola.

When I finished fixing my hair, I looked up to meet Miriam's eyes. "So? How do I look?" I asked.

"I was right," she beamed, looking exceptionally proud of herself. "You look… you look like you just stepped out of one of Lola's _Teen Fairy_ magazines."

Ivy chose that moment to come into our room, wearing a short strapless white tulle dress with a pink satin bow at the waist that I recognized as belonging to Lola (no surprise). "Hey Alyssa, are you going to wear that turquoise halter dress of Aqua's? Because I think I might wear it if you don't… _whoa_. You look stunning."

"Really?"

"Yes, really," Ivy said, picking up the discarded turquoise dress from the floor. "Why have you never worn gold before?"

"Why has who never worn gold before?" Aqua asked, peeking her head into our room. "Wow, 'Liss, you look beautiful. You should definitely wear that."

"Okay, I need to see for myself how good this supposedly looks." Lola's room was the only one with a full-length mirror – unsurprisingly – so I traipsed across the disaster zone of our common area to Lola's single.

Lola was staring at herself in the mirror, twisting and turning to get a full view of the dress she was wearing – a hot pink leopard-print one-shoulder mini-dress with a hot pink sash tied at the waist. "What do you think?" Lola asked, still examining herself in the pink dress. "Too much?"

"Definitely." I wrinkled my nose. "What do you think of this one on me?"

Lola peeled her eyes off of her own reflection to examine me in the gold dress. "Smoking!" she declared, reaching out to feel the edge of the skirt. "Hey… isn't this mine?"

"Yeah…" I admitted. "Miriam picked it out for me."

"Well she's got fabulous taste. You look H-O-T, girlfriend."

I checked myself out in the mirror. The dress was made out of this yellow-gold silky material that shimmered slightly when it caught the light. It had thin spaghetti straps and a sweetheart neckline, with a wide satin sash that tied in a big bow above my left hip. The skirt came down to just above my knees, and fanned out slightly as I twirled around in it. The color complimented my newly streaked red hair and, as Miriam had predicted, brought out my unusual golden eyes.

"Doesn't she?" Miriam said, coming up behind me in Aqua's turquoise halter dress. "And thank you for the compliment – coming from _you_, Lola, that means a lot."

"It's true, she looks stunning. Hey 'Liss, I have the perfect pair of shoes to go with that dress, if you want them." Lola reached into her enormous closet and pulled out a pair of gold high-heeled sandals with little bows over the toes. "You're a size seven, right?"

"Seven and a half, but I'll squeeze. Those are adorable, Lo! Thanks for letting me borrow them, and the dress."

"No problem. Can't wait to see how _Ryan_ reacts when he sees you in that dress." Lola giggled, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively, and I whacked her playfully on the shoulder.

Miriam and I went back to our room and found Aqua trying on a pretty white silk chiffon mid-thigh-length strapless dress with a flowy skirt and a bright blue silk sash tied at the waist. The colors popped beautifully against her dark glowing skin and long mane of dark curls. When she saw us, she grinned sheepishly at Miriam. "I've picked through Mel's and Ivy's and Alyssa's closets already – not to mention my own – and found nothing. Goodness knows Dee doesn't have anything worth wearing, and I'm certainly not about to borrow one of Lola's _haute couture_ pieces, so… hope it's alright?"

That dress must've come from Miriam's closet, I realized. This was an extremely good sign. While the others had been in and out of my side of the room to borrow stuff, as far as I knew no one else had touched Miriam's closet. It had been two weeks since she'd arrived unexpectedly, but the ice was still thawing. Looking at Aqua twirling in Miriam's dress, though, I had a very good feeling that the others were finally starting to warm up to Miriam.

Miriam was absolutely _nothing_ like Taylor. She was sweet, smart, and incredibly funny – she just had this way of looking at life like nothing I'd ever seen before. And she was _sooo_ generous. It was about time the others started to see it.

"Hey," Aqua said, as she stopped spinning around in front of the mirror. "Isn't that my dress?"

Miriam looked down and blushed slightly, smoothing the folds of the skirt. "Yeah, it is. I'll go put it back in your room now. I just wanted to try it on, for fun."

"Are you kidding me? You have _got_ to wear that tonight. I _won't_ take no for an answer."

Miriam's eyes lit up. "Really? Oh, thank you so much!"

"No problem. Now we're even, eh?" Aqua said, gesturing to her dress and laughing. After a beat, Miriam laughed too.

"You guys, fifteen minutes till the Red Fountain boys arrive!" Lola yelled from inside her single. Aqua let out a tiny yelp of surprise and scrambled back to the room she shared with Mel.

"Your friends are so nice," Miriam remarked, buckling the straps on a pair of silver kitten-heeled sandals.

"Yes they are," I agreed, spritzing myself with the perfume Ryan had given me as a parting gift this summer. _I'm so glad they're finally starting to accept you_.

Ten minutes of primping later, the seven of us emerged from behind our room doors, checking out each other's final dress choices.

"That dress is totally amazing, Lola," Miriam said. "Who is it?"

"Spella McCartney. She's the best." Lola's dress was a tight petal pink satin strapless number with a short, bubble-hem-like skirt that was done in sections to look like flower petals. She'd flat-ironed her blond hair so it fell down her back in a long, glossy curtain.

"You look amazing, Lo, but I think the real winner tonight is Alyssa." Mel gave me the once-over, from my streaked hair to Lola's bow heels. "You look fantastic."

"Thanks. Miriam picked out the dress for me," I added quickly, not wanting to miss the opportunity to put in a good word for Miriam. Mel, I noticed, was wearing a tight red knee-length halter dress with two long slits up the side of the skirt – to allow maximum dancing potential, most likely. That was just _so_ Mel. Her long, blue-black hair was parted into two long pigtails pulled up high on the sides of her head.

"Cool. You look great too, Miriam," she said, giving her a nod of approval.

"And who managed to get Dee into a dress and heels?" Aqua asked incredulously, eyeing our pink-haired techie friend, who blushed bashfully. Dee's outfit included a short purple strapless dress with a bright green sash at the waist, bright green fishnets, and purple high-heeled sandals. Her shoulder-length pink hair had been flat-ironed, with choppy, asymmetrical bangs layered over her eyes, which had been done in extremely cool, futuristic looking green and purple eye makeup. A layered necklace of chunky bright green plastic beads that looked vaguely technological hung around her neck. The entire look was very cute, and very Dee.

"You like?" Mel asked, cocking her head to the side and twirling a piece of her hair around her pointer finger. "It was all my work. I picked up the fishnets and the necklace as a present for Dee on tour with my mom, and then when I saw this dress in her closet I just had to put it all together."

"The Red Fountain guys are going to go _crazy_ for you tonight," Ivy said. She looked ethereally pretty as always, in a floaty silver chiffon halter dress with an empire waist and a handkerchief-hemmed skirt. The bodice of the dress was entirely covered in silver sequins of varying sizes.

"They're gonna go crazy for _all_ of us," I amended, looking around at all of my friends, dressed up and made up to the nines. "Now come on. Let's go have some fun!"

* * *

Ryan was waiting for me in the doorway of the ballroom. "Alyssa!" he exclaimed as the seven of us walked through the doors. He picked me up and twirled me around, before putting me back on the ground and leaning down to give me a long, sweet kiss that sent shivers down my spine. "Mmm… God, I've missed you."

"I missed you too, Ry." I closed my eyes and leaned my head against his shoulder, inhaling the scent of his cologne, as he wrapped his arms around my waist.

After a moment, Ryan pulled back, still keeping his arms around my waist, and gave me a quick once-over, much the way Mel had. Except this time I got tingles from head to toe as his eyes raked over my body appreciatively. "You look… _wow_…"

"You don't look so bad yourself."

"Turn around," he ordered, pulling something out of his pocket. I obliged, and felt something cool against my collarbone. Reaching up with my fingers, I felt a delicate gold chain necklace, with a small gold heart pendant hanging off of it.

"Ryan, it's beautiful."

"It has sentimental value, too… although maybe that's a story for another time. Dance with me?"

"I'd be a fool to say no," I murmured, taking his hand and letting him lead me onto the dance floor, which was quickly filling up with dancing couples.

After dancing with both Ryan and my friends for a long time, I was in desperate need of a punch break. Ryan was talking with some of his friends from Red Fountain, so instead of dragging him away from his conversation, I met up with the girls at one of the snack tables.

The second I sat down with my cup of punch and plate of cookies, Lola's eyes zeroed in on my new necklace. "Is that necklace from _Ryan_?" She said his name slowly and with emphasis, like a favorite treat she was savoring in her mouth. I giggled and whacked her on the shoulder again.

"Yes, it is," I admitted, which prompted squeals of delight all around the table. "He said something about it having 'sentimental value', but then we started dancing before he could tell me the whole story."

"It's beautiful," Ivy said, reaching out to touch it. "That boy has good taste."

"It even goes with your outfit," Mel exclaimed.

"It does, doesn't it? I hadn't even noticed that."

"So did his eyes pop out of his head when he got a look at the gorgeousness that is you?"

"Lo_la_!" I giggled. "He _was_ at a loss for words… all he said was _wow_."

Aqua grinned mischievously. "As in, _Wow_ I have the hottest girlfriend in all the realms, it's taking every ounce of my restraint not to ravish you into the next millennium?"

I was used to Aqua's racy comments by now, so I didn't snap at her as we all dissolved into peals of laughter. "You are _so_ bad, Aqua."

"And you love me anyway."

"That I do."

Mel was staring intently at something behind me. "What's wrong, Mel?" I asked.

She blinked. "Oh, um… nothing…"

"Mel, something's up. What is it?"

"It's probably nothing, just… there's a girl talking to Ryan…"

"What?" I whirled around in shock and stared at the dance floor. There was Ryan, looking incredibly handsome, and next to him was… a tall, pretty girl… who was wrapping her arms around him… and playing with his hair…

My blood turned to ice water in my veins. Who was that girl, and what was she doing with my Ryan?

The others turned around and zeroed in on Ryan and the mystery girl, their faces registering the same emotions I was feeling – shock, confusion, anger, sadness. "Who is that _slut_?" Mel spat, slamming her fist against the table. "I should go over there and give her a piece of my mind."

"If anyone deserves a beat-down, its Ryan," Aqua insisted. "There's no way that lowlife can two-time one of my friends and get away with it."

"Mel, Aqua, chill. No one is a slut or a lowlife. I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation behind this." I stood up and pushed in my chair. "And I'm going to go find out what it is."

I wove my way through the crowd of dancing fairies and specialists, until I got to Ryan and the mystery girl. "Hey, Ry." I forced myself to keep my tone light and even. To stake my claim for Mystery Girl to see, I leaned against him and rested my head on his shoulder, just as I had done earlier at the start of the dance. "Who's this?"

Ryan visibly stiffened. "Alyssa, this is my friend–"

"Alexa. Lady Alexa of Eraklyon." Her voice was sweet and even, but I could tell she was ticked off underneath the niceness exterior. "Ryan and I are old friends."

My eyes narrowed as I examined this Alexa girl. She was tall and slender, with long straight glossy black hair, big blue eyes, perfect creamy skin, and bright red lips. Her tiny, lithe figure was displayed to its full advantage in a tight ice blue satin strapless mini-dress with a big bow tied at the waist, and sky-scraping platforms.

She was the antithesis of me in every way. That made me nervous.

"How nice," I said. "What year are you in, Alexa?"

"I'm a junior, just like Ryan," she said. "I used to go to Beta Academy, but I transferred this year to Alfea."

"I haven't seen Alexa in a long time; we were just catching up," Ryan hastily explained, as if sensing my uncomfortable feelings.

"I see." There was a moment of silence, before Alexa finally seemed to realize she wasn't welcome here anymore.

"Well, I guess I'd better go find some of my dorm-mates. I just wanted to come say hi." Then, in a move that was either incredibly gutsy or incredibly foolish, she leaned in and kissed Ryan on the cheek. "I'll see you around, Ry. Call me, okay?"

The scent of her perfume – vanilla, spices, and patchouli – lingered in the air. "Okay, Ryan, who is she?" I asked inquisitively, crossing my arms over my chest and staring daggers at him.

"I told you, Alexa's just an old friend," he said, holding his arms up, palms facing forward, in the "I didn't do anything wrong" pose.

"Then why does she kiss you and call you 'Ry'? I thought I was the only one who could do that!"

Ryan stared at his feet. "Okay… Alexa and I used to go out."

An ex-girlfriend of Ryan's was _here_, at Alfea? One who looked like _that_?

Noticing my expression, Ryan quickly added, "But we broke up a long time ago, and I swear I'm over her. The only one I want right now is you, Alyssa." He tried to embrace me, but I slapped his hands away.

"Why didn't you tell me your ex-girlfriend was coming to Alfea?"

"I had no idea she was even at Alfea until she surprised me tonight. And I was totally going to tell you about her, until you saw for yourself and jumped to the wrong conclusions."

"It looks like she hasn't quite gotten the memo that she's your _ex_-girlfriend."

"Alyssa. Look at me." He tilted my chin upward to meet his gaze, his blue eyes locking onto my golden ones. "Even if Alexa still has feelings for me, I promise I do not have feelings for her. She's just an old friend from Eraklyon. _You_ are the only girl I want, now and forever."

Even though I was still mad at him, his words still made my insides melt into a gooey puddle of mush. "Awww… Okay, I forgive you. But I better not see her hanging around you like that anymore."

"Next time I see her, I'll make sure she knows that I'm with you now, and that I'm strictly her friend." He wrapped his arms around me again, and this time I didn't slap them away. A slow song was playing, and we swayed back and forth to the music, content in each other's arms.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alexa, surrounded by a group of juniors and their boyfriends. When she noticed me staring at her, she caught my gaze, then narrowed her eyes at me.

I heard her message loud and clear.

_This. Means. War._

* * *

**Author's Note: ****Bet you guys weren't expecting that, huh? So an ex-girlfriend of Ryan's is at Alfea and looking to make things hard for Alyssa and Ryan. (Trust me, this is most definitely not the last we will be seeing of Alexa.) Poor Alyssa… and there's still more bad things in store for her later on in the story. What bad things? Well, you'll just have to wait and see, now won't you? *laughs***

**Also, for one reviewer who said something about Miriam's name... well, it really is just a total coincidence that Alyssa's new roommate shares a name with Bloom's mom. I swear I didn't think of that until I'd already become attached to the character of Miriam, and couldn't bear to change anything about her. :) So sorry.**

**Feedback is very much appreciated. Reviews are, as always, motivation to get the next chapter out sooner.**

**See you later!**

**- Authoress**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Breakfast the next morning was an exciting event. All over the room, fairies were swapping stories about dancing with this guy or kissing that guy, rehashing the previous night's events over their bowls of cereal and plates of eggs and bacon.

On my right, Lola was telling a couple of girls from our Magical Theory class about the specialist she'd kissed last night – a sophomore transfer named Jake. Mel and Aqua were having a discussion about the music selection, and Ivy, Dee, and Miriam were up at the buffet table getting more food.

One thing I really liked about Alfea was the enormous breakfast buffets on the weekends. Any style of eggs, pancakes, waffles, French toast, muffins and bagels, three kinds of sausage, bacon, and lots of fresh fruit… mmm, heaven.

"So Alyssa, are you excited to see your parents today?" Ivy asked, sliding into her seat on my left. She broke off a piece of her blueberry muffin and nibbled on it.

Although Alfea students weren't typically allowed out of Magix during the semester except on breaks, Miss Faragonda had made an exception for me this semester, considering my history with my parents. If I cleared it with her and didn't abuse the freedom, I was allowed to portal back to Sparx for a few weekends of my choosing. This weekend just so happened to be one of those choice weekends – except the choice hadn't exactly been mine, it had been my mom's. I was all too happy to oblige, though, seeing as there was nothing major planned yet for the weekend. Also, after the events of last night, it would be good to spend a few days away from Magix and digest things.

"You bet I am," I replied, stabbing a piece of cantaloupe with my fork. "I'll make sure I bring back lots of little presents to share with the dorm."

"Awesome," Mel said, swallowing the last of her juice.

"What about you guys? Do you have anything fun planned this weekend?"

"Mel and I are going to a concert in Magix tonight," Aqua said.

"That sounds like fun." I looked down at my plate, noticing that it was empty. "I'll be right back – I need more food."

I took my plate up to the buffet and started picking out more food. After getting some more fruit, I walked down to the end of the buffet with the pastries. There were a bunch of older girls clustered around that end, but through them I spotted my favorite chocolate-chip muffin. There was only one left. Quickly, I reached for it, but someone else got there at exactly the same time.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Here, you can have it." My blood boiled at the sound of her voice – oh so familiar. Sure enough, I looked up to see Alexa standing in front of me, my muffin in her hands.

"No, it's okay. You can take it," I insisted, grabbing a croissant instead.

"Oh my goodness, Alyssa! I thought you seemed familiar. How could I miss that bright red hair of yours?" Alexa laughed. She looked just as beautiful and stylish as she had last night. Her long black hair fell down her back, sleek and straight; her blue eyes were accentuated with a touch of eyeliner and mascara, and there was a hint of pale lip gloss on her red lips. She wore a dark navy blue sleeveless top and a faded denim miniskirt with a frayed hem. A silver necklace with an _A_ pendant hung above the straight neckline of her top. "Did you have fun last night?"

"Yeah," I said, adding a raspberry scone to my plate. _I'd have had a better time if you hadn't been hanging all over my boyfriend in that tight, slutty dress that left absolutely nothing to the imagination_, I thought. _In fact, I'd have had an even better time if you didn't exist, or at least weren't so beautiful and didn't have a shared past with Ryan._

"Me too. Alfea is so much better than Beta Academy," Alexa chirped, peeling the wrapper off the chocolate-chip muffin that had gotten me into this conversation with the girl I hated most at Alfea.

"Well, I've never been to Beta, so I can't say for sure, but Alfea is pretty great. So you like Alfea so far?" I asked Alexa, more to be polite than anything.

"Definitely."

It was on the tip of my tongue to ask why she'd left Beta, but at the last second I realized it could come off too bitchy. Instead, I said, "Um, nice necklace."

Her hands flew up to her neck and clasped around the A pendant, swinging it back and forth across the chain. "It's my favorite. Ryan gave it to me." I had to literally bite my tongue not to say anything mean, breaking off a piece of the scone and stuffing it in my mouth so I couldn't speak.

Alexa's eyes ran up and down my body, as if giving me a once-over. They narrowed slightly as they returned to my face, and I wondered why. Since I was just going to visit my parents, I'd dressed simply – jeans, a blue V-neck tee, and sandals. What was Alexa getting upset about?

"I like _your_ necklace," she said, and then I remembered Ryan's gold heart necklace lying against my collarbone – I hadn't taken it off since he put it on me yesterday (not counting my shower, of course). So that's what she was upset about. But why?

Seeing an opportunity to get back at her, I said, "Thanks. Ryan gave it to me last night."

She shot me a smile that looked just a little too sweet to be genuine. "Well, I'd better get back to my friends. Nice talking to you, Alyssa."

"You too. Have a good weekend."

Alexa smiled, but the look in her eyes was anything but friendly.

* * *

"Sweetheart! It's so good to see you! I miss you so much when you're at Alfea."

"I miss you too, Mom," I said, squeezing her in a tight hug and breathing in the scent of her perfume. It still felt a little surreal – living in the palace, having a real family, spending time with my mom.

After a moment, Mom let go and held me at arms length. "You just keep getting taller and prettier, I swear." I laughed. "It's true!" she insisted.

"Bloom, why didn't you tell me Alyssa was coming home this weekend?" Dad came up behind Mom and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her against his chest in a sort of backwards hug.

"I thought I'd surprise you," she said, twisting her body so she was facing him. I averted my eyes as she reached up to give him a kiss.

"Do you guys really have to make out in front of me all the time?"

Mom laughed. "Sorry, honey. It's easier when you're at Alfea. I'm still having a hard time adjusting to the fact that I have a fifteen-year-old daughter."

"You mean an almost-sixteen-year-old daughter," I reminded her. "My birthday's coming up soon."

"Don't remind me," Dad groaned, releasing his hold on Mom. "I'll let you two catch up; just make sure you're back for dinner so I can see my daughter too."

"As you wish," Mom giggled, leaning in to kiss him again.

"Hello? I'm still here, you know!"

"Fine, fine, I'm leaving," Dad said. "I know when I'm not welcome." He kissed me on the forehead. "Welcome home, Alyssa. I'll see you later."

"You have _got_ to tell me your secret," I said to Mom once Dad was out of earshot. "How did you make him act all… normal?"

She laughed. "Well, I'd tell you, but somehow I don't think you'd actually want to hear…"

"Ew! No!" I squealed. "You're right – I think I'd rather not."

Mom laughed. "So how are you, honey?"

"Alright…" I hesitated, wondering how much I should say about Ryan and Alexa. Even though we'd spent the summer together as a family, I was still kind of having a hard time adjusting to having a mom. For so long it had just been me and Dad – and he's not the best person to talk to about… anything, really. So I'd gotten used to keeping everything inside. Even with my friends at Alfea, it still felt like there was a wall between us, as far as talking about the heavy stuff.

"Is something wrong, sweetheart?"

At the last minute, I decided to refrain from saying anything about Alexa. Maybe it would turn out to be nothing after all – maybe Ryan would talk to her and she would back off for real.

_Yeah right,_ a tiny voice in the back of my head said. _And maybe Lola will donate all her clothes to charity and start wearing thrift-store finds._ From the way Alexa was acting, both last night and this morning, it was clear she had no intentions of just letting me have Ryan without a fight. Still, I didn't want to bother my mom about it just yet.

"Nothing's wrong. I'm just a little tired. Last night was the back to school dance with Red Fountain."

Mom's eyes lit up, and a mischievous smile danced across her face. "Ooh. Lemme guess – you saw_ Ryan_?" My cheeks flushed bright red; as much our relationship wasn't typical of mother-daughter pairs our ages, it's still weird talking in-depth about your boyfriend with your mom.

As I debated what to tell her about, her eyes zeroed in on something. "Wow," she remarked, reaching out towards the V-neck of my shirt. "I haven't seen _this_ in almost twenty years." I was confused, until her fingers brushed my necklace. (That would make _two _times I forgot I was wearing it. Damn, I really need to start being a better girlfriend.)

"Ryan gave this to me last night," I offered by way of explanation, not sure what she meant by the thing about twenty years.

"Did he tell you what it means?" Mom walked over to a nearby couch, beckoning me to follow her. I took a seat next to her, wondering what she was getting at here.

"He did say something about 'sentimental value', but then we went to dance and he didn't finish his thought."

"This necklace is a family heirloom of the Eraklyon royal family. It's passed down through the men, who are supposed to give it to the girl they want to be with forever." She reached up and un-did the clasp behind my neck, the chain sliding into her hands and pooling in a tiny puddle on her palm around the pendant.

"What are you doing?" I asked as she fumbled with the side of the pendant, my mind trying to process this new information.

"Trying to find the clasp… aha! There it is." She pressed down on a tiny gold bump sticking out of the side that I hadn't noticed until now, and the heart popped open, revealing a tiny picture inside of two people, a blond boy and a red-haired girl in a tender embrace.

"How did you know… it was a locket? And why did you say you've seen this before?"

Mom stiffened. "Sky gave this to me after graduation. I… gave it back."

I squinted at the picture. The differences weren't immediately obvious, but upon closer inspection, the boy was slightly shorter, his hair lighter, and his face a little more angular than Ryan's. And the girl was slimmer, more wide-eyed, with blue irises instead of gold.

I blinked, as if I thought somehow the picture would change if I kept closing my eyes long enough. Of course, I'd known about their relationship, but with hard, concrete, tangible proof staring me in the face… it was more than a little unnnerving. "Your relationship was deeper than you've made it sound, wasn't it?" I asked.

Mom refused to look me in the eye. "Sky is… a touchy subject for your father, which is why I tried to sugarcoat it a bit. Yes, we were quite close in high school, but that was a long time ago. I broke up with him completely separate from anything to do with your father, and I've never regretted it or wondered 'what if I hadn't?' for a single day. I fully believe that we were not meant to be together, that our romance was just a silly high school fling, but apparently he doesn't, even after Diaspro swooped in like the vulture she is." Mom's tone soured when she mentioned Taylor's mother, and I couldn't help but smile. Seems there was no love lost between that generation either. "I always meant to try and talk to him again, but then we had you, and then the Trix attacked, and now…" She paused. "There really is nothing stopping me now, is there? In fact, it's probably the perfect time to do it."

"That sounds like a good idea, Mom," I said. "He's a mess now, especially after the Taylor-trying-to-kill-me thing and the divorce."

"Mmm-hmm," she nodded. "Poor Sky… he deserves better than that _witch_. I just wish he'd learn to move on."

"Why are you two talking about Sky?" I jumped at the sound of my dad's voice, which seemed to have appeared from out of nowhere.

"Ryan gave Alyssa the heart locket. I was just telling her about it's meaning."

Like the bit about Ryan and me had just flown right over his head (which was very unusual for my dad), he zeroed in on the part about Mom and Sky. "And now you want to go see him?" he asked, his voice weighted with more than a healthy dose of skepticism.

"Awww. Is someone a little jealous?" She giggled, then grabbed his hand and pulled him down onto the couch, simultaneously leaping up and then landing on his lap. "I promise you, whatever feelings I had for Sky in high school are long gone. Flame is out. I swear. It's just two old friends, catching up."

"If you say so…" he said, although I could tell he didn't believe her. Evidently, so could she, because she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in for a very long, very passionate kiss that had me closing my eyes and squealing in protest.

"Ew! Gross! Get a room, you two!"

"Deal with it," came Dad's reply, before Mom tackled him with another kiss. I rolled my eyes at the display of affection on the couch, then headed upstairs to my room.

* * *

**Author's Note: ****So? What do you all think?**

**Next chapter, we get back to the plot. Well, actually, this chapter and the last were key for setting up important subplots, but next chapter we get back to the main plot. And I promise I have not abandoned this story. Just don't count on super-regular updates (but you're _my_ reviewers. Of course you've learned better than to count on super-regular updates from me).**

**So review, please, and tell me what you liked. Is Alexa bitchy enough? Too bitchy? Was the explanation for the necklace sweet or cheesy? Do you wish Bloom and Baltor would stop making out all the time? (Sorry, that one's never gonna get old.)**

**Catch you on the flip side,**

**- Authoress**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"Alyssa!" Miriam ambushed me the second I materialized in our shared room. "How was your weekend home?"

"It was alright," I said, dropping my stuff onto the floor near my bed. After that first awkward afternoon, things had more or less returned to normal – or rather, what was starting to become 'normal' now. Mom and I spent a lot of time lounging around the house, watching movies, eating junk food, and just talking. Our relationship still felt more like big sister-little sister than mother-daughter, but maybe that was a good thing; all those books and movies make it out like teenage girls can't have stable relationships with their moms. And after years of living with just Dad, it was nice having someone female and older that I could talk to.

Things with Mom and me were fine. Mom and Dad, on the other hand… Though he never brought it up, I knew Dad was still upset about Mom wanting to see Sky. Their relationship, which before had always been cavity-inducing and cringe-worthy (since they were my _parents_, after all) was now strangely tense, like a rubber band pulled taut and waiting to snap. Every time all three of us were in the same room, I felt like I was tiptoeing on eggshells.

"Did you do anything fun?" she asked, flopping down on my bed without asking. She was wearing one of her usual vaguely gypsy-ish getups – a cranberry-red off-the-shoulder peasant blouse with long genie sleeves that had been slashed down the sides, paired with a faded denim miniskirt with a frayed hem and her flat gold gladiator sandals. Her pale blond hair fell in ringlets down her back and was tied back with a strip of cranberry-colored cloth like a headband.

"We went shopping." I pulled out a handful of clothes and tossed them on my bed.

Miriam immediately zeroed in on them. "Wow, girl, these are _gorgeous_," she cooed, holding up a blue halter top, then a pair of black leggings with brass studs down the sides. "Your mom has good taste."

"Yeah, she does." I dumped out the rest of my clothes and slid the suitcase under my bed.

"Is something wrong?" Miriam asked, watching me move around my half of the room silently putting away my clothes.

I sighed. "Not exactly…"

She placed her hand over mine as I reached for another handful of clothes. "Come on. Let's get out of here; go to Magix or something. I'll buy you a latte and a muffin, and then you're going to tell me what's wrong."

I rolled my eyes, but grabbed my purse off my nightstand. "Whatever you say."

"But first put on something cute." I started to protest, but she cut me off. "Seriously, new clothes solve almost everything, and you've got a whole bunch of cute ones right here. Why not take one for a spin?"

* * *

Half an hour later, I was sitting at a corner alcove booth with Miriam at a little café in Magix, wearing my new white eyelet racer-back mini-dress (Miriam was right; just walking around in cute new clothes did lift my spirits) and white flats. We were onto our second drinks – mine hot chocolate, hers a vanilla latte – and there were a few crumbs left from the chocolate muffin we'd demolished.

"So what's on your mind?" she said, inhaling the aroma of her steaming drink before taking a sip.

I picked up a crumb of muffin, just sort of rolling it around in my fingers for lack of anything to do. "I don't know… a lot of stuff, really…"  
"Alyssa, I can't help you if you won't tell me anything."

I sighed. "I thought this year was going to be perfect, you know? Taylor's gone, I've got a boyfriend, my parents are back together… But instead, everything sort of seems to be falling apart."

"How so?"

"Ryan's ex-girlfriend is here, my parents are fighting, and all the other girls are wrapped up in their own lives. I know we've only been back for a few weeks, but I thought things would be different. Instead, I feel like the odd girl out."

"Oh, sweetie." She placed her hand over mine. "You shouldn't be worrying about _any_ of that stuff. Alexa is a jealous old hag who's delusional if she thinks she's getting Ryan back. Your parents fighting isn't your problem – they're adults, they can work it out themselves. And as for the other girls… I'm sure it's nothing personal. They all just have their very separate interests. Maybe…" She hesitated, as if unsure whether to continue. "Maybe you should try and find some other friends, you know? It seems like the six of you are this little exclusive circle, and maybe that's the problem here – you don't really have anyone else at Alfea to talk to, and when they're all busy…" She trailed off. "Forget I said anything. I'm new here, you all were friends for a year before I got here, I don't know what I'm talking about, I–"

I laughed. "Miriam, slow down. It's okay. I appreciate your opinion." I took a sip of my drink, the steaming chocolaty liquid warming me up from the inside, just like Miriam's words. "And you know, you kind of have a point. Maybe I am too dependent on the others. I mean, it couldn't hurt to try and meet some more people."

"That's the spirit." Miriam smiled. "You're an amazing person, Alyssa; any of the Alfea girls would have to be crazy to not want to be your friend."

"Some people can't see past the whole she's-Baltor's-daughter thing," I sighed. I'd lost quite a few friends growing up after they met my dad and never knew why (although to be fair, that might've also had to do with the fact that until Mom came back, he had a rulebook for me the size of an encyclopedia). Now, of course, it all made sense.

"Well then that's their loss." Miriam grabbed my hand again. "You are beautiful and talented and amazing, and you shouldn't be stressing over such unimportant little things."

"And _you_ are too sweet." I reached down to pick up my mug, only to discover that all the hot chocolate was gone. "Thank you for this, Miriam. Really, I don't know what I would've done without you."

She beamed. "That's what friends are for."

* * *

"Alyssa! You're back! How was your weekend at home?"

"Oh hey." I breezed past her, lying on the couch with one of her _Teen Fairy_ magazines. "It was good."

"Did you just get back? Love that dress, by the way." She leaned against the doorway of my and Miriam's room, a few pieces of her long blond hair falling in her face.

"No, I got back a couple hours ago. Miriam and I went to Magix."

She arched one eyebrow. "Since when are you and Miriam so buddy-buddy?"

"Why are you acting like that's such a bad thing? She _is_ my roommate." Eager to change the subject, I rifled through one of my bags and pulled out a tiny glass perfume bottle shaped like a rose. "Hey, smell this. It's amazing."

"Did you buy that with _Miriam_?" Lola practically spat the last word, like it was a bad taste on her tongue.

"_Why_ are you getting so worked up about this? Am I not allowed to have any other friends?" I laughed, but inside I was starting to get a little worried.

"I didn't say that," she protested, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well then what are you saying? Because it sounds to me a whole lot like you're trying to say I can't have any other friends besides the five of you."

"What I'm _saying_ is that how do you know you can trust Miriam? There are a whole lot of things that are suspicious about her, you know – she's from Isis, she looks a hell of a lot like Taylor… you even said she wears Taylor's perfume!"

"I can't believe you, Lola. You're jumping to enormous conclusions from dubious facts. I'm sure there are a lot of blond girls from Isis who wear that perfume." I balled my hands into fists, my newly-manicured nails biting into my palms. "You know what? I think you're just _jealous_ that I'm spending time with someone other than you."

"Well, can you blame me? You're supposed to be my _best friend_ and after we see your boyfriend with another girl, you go to _Miriam_, a girl you barely know, for advice instead of talking to me?"

"I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that, because if you did, I really don't know you at all." I crossed the room to stand in front of her. "There's a bitch-slut trying to steal my boyfriend and my parents are fighting, and all you care about is that I didn't come to you for advice? Oh boohoo. Go cry to someone else, because I am so not interested." Despite my best efforts to keep my voice down, I was pretty sure most of the dorm could hear us now. "If you were _really_ my best friend like you claim to be, you'd be trying to make me feel better, like Miriam did, instead of yelling at me like this."

"Miriam, Miriam, Miriam. Was it _Miriam_ who was there for you last spring when that psycho-bitch Taylor tried to _kill_ you? I think not. Yet how easily you forget who your _true_ friends are, the ones who stuck by you in a life-or-death situation, when some plastic blond tart comes prancing into Alfea and buys you _perfume_."

I took a deep breath, trying to get a handle on my temper. "Get out." Lola blinked. "You heard me – get out of my room!"

Her jaw dropped. For a moment, it looked like she was going to answer back with another zinger, but instead, she just scoffed, rolled her eyes, and flounced out, ever the dramatic one.

Face flushed and heart pounding from the adrenaline, I collapsed onto my bed, still not sure I wasn't dreaming. Lola and I had had a couple little spats before, but it was nothing like this. How had our simple discussion about Miriam escalated into a no-holds-bared screaming fight?

And worse, I wondered – was the damage to our friendship irreparable?

* * *

**Author's Note:**** It's short, I know, and the fight maybe kind of comes from nowhere, but Alyssa does acknowledge that, if you look closely - that it started off benign and escalated into something greater as it became less about Miriam and more about their relationship.**

**The real reason it's there, of course, is because I wanted to get the plot _rolling_ already! Enough filler-y exposition. And before anyone asks, this is so not the end of Alyssa and Lola's friendship. This is just an ice-breaker, a warm-up to the craziness that's in store.**

**So... thoughts? How do you all like Miriam so far? (Please, if anyone has guesses about her character, keep them to yourselves...) Did the fight really come from nowhere and make no sense? Am I just boring you all throwing in the Bloom-Baltor-Sky triangle subplot? I need feedback!**

**Ciao!**

**- Authoress**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"Hey 'Liss, what's your hurry? Classes are over for the day." Aqua looked up from her perch on one of the recliners in the common area, where she'd been leafing through what looked like a textbook.

"I'm meeting Ryan in Magix in…" I glanced up at the clock, "twenty minutes. And yes, in hindsight, scheduling a date with such little lag time was probably not such a good idea, but this was the only time that worked with his schedule for the next week."

"Wow. See, now this is the kind of thing that makes me glad I don't have a boyfriend." Aqua laughed, but I caught the trace of sadness underneath her words.

"Who's going on a date?" Mel popped her head out from her and Aqua's shared room, a pair of old-school headphones around her ears, the white wires twisted around her skinny, red tank top-clad torso.

"Alyssa; who else? She's the only one of us that has a boyfriend, after all."

"Where're you guys going?" Ivy asked, looking up from watering her plants, which sat on the windowsill, providing them plenty of access to natural light.

"Magic Teacup," I called from inside Miriam's and my room, where I was digging through a pile of clothes, trying to find something cute to wear. One by one, rejected outfits piled up on my bed. White sundress? Too summery. Cute new gray sweater? Too winter-y. Blue halter top? Too skimpy. Pink daisy-print skirt? God, what was I _thinking_ with that one?

"Anyone want this skirt?" I asked, chucking it into the middle of the room, where it landed on Dee's head rather ungracefully. Poor Dee, who'd obviously just come back from the computer lab, stayed frozen in place as the offending garment slid off her head and onto the floor in a puddle at her feet.

"Why are there flying clothes?" she asked finally, her clipped, British-sounding accent only adding to the ridiculousness of her statement

I struggled not to laugh. "Sorry, Dee! My bad!"

After a couple more minutes of deliberation – and several more rejected outfits lying all over my half of the room – I finally decided on my new studded leggings and a long, loose, slouchy white top with drapey short sleeves that said YOU MAKE MY HEART GO BOOM BOOM BOOM in shimmery metallic gold block letters. "Now what do we think?" I struck a pose in the doorway.

"Ooh la la," Aqua cooed, reaching up to touch the shirt. "Adorable times ten."

"Agreed," Mel echoed.

The door slammed, and I looked up to see Lola striding through the common area towards her room, her pink messenger bag slung over her shoulder. "What do you think, Lola?" Ivy asked, twisting her bracelets around her wrist.

She stopped in the doorway. "Think of what?"

"Alyssa's outfit."

Her jaw clenched slightly, but quickly relaxed, as her brown eyes scanned me up and down. "Pretty," she said finally, before throwing open the doors to her room and then closing them shut with a loud bang.

"_Someone_ got up on the wrong side of the bed today," I heard Mel mutter under her breath to Aqua, who nodded.

It had been a couple days since Lola's and my fight, and since then our interactions had been minimal at best, and only ever when there were other people around. Thankfully, she'd always been perfectly pleasant and polite, if a bit more aloof than usual, but we'd never really sat down and talked about all the issues that had led to us screaming at each other, and at this point I doubted we ever would. The fight had become this big pink elephant in the room, and even the other girls were starting to notice that something was going on between us.

Trying my best to put it out of my mind, I walked back into my bedroom and slid on a pair of platform wedge sandals with studding on the straps that matched my leggings. Running a comb through my red-gold hair – which had somehow curled itself into perfect, frizz-free, beachy-looking ringlets – I slicked on some eyeliner and lip gloss, and, after a moment's hesitation, added Ryan's necklace.

"Okay, I'm off," I announced, dashing through the common area, only stopping to scoop up my purse.

"Have fun!" Ivy called as I shut the door behind me and raced down the halls.

* * *

"So what's good here?" Ryan asked, as he pushed open the heavy glass door of the café, holding it open for me to walk through. Inside, the Magic Teacup was a funky little place, with cozy conversation nooks peppered throughout and antique-looking wooden furniture. All the couches and armchairs were warm, inviting colors, and looked well-loved, with blankets tossed across the back, presumably for when the weather was colder. The walls were a pretty burnt-orange color with dark brown trim, and there were strands of twinkling white Christmas lights hanging from the ceiling all year round. The menu was written in chalk on an old-fashioned blackboard, and they had virtually every coffee concoction you could think of and then some. Best of all, though, in my opinion, was the nearly five-foot long glass counter that held all their delectable baked goods. My mouth watered, and I remembered how long it had been since I'd scarfed down a bowl of yogurt and granola at breakfast (I'd skipped lunch to work on an extra-credit project for Advanced Transformations).

"Everything, really. Get whatever you want. They make awesome lattes. Oh, and order me a caramel macchiato."

"I'll think I'll pass on the lattes; I'm not really a fancy-coffee-drink kind of guy." I studied his profile as he placed our order (a regular drip coffee for him, my caramel macchiato, and a luscious-looking fudge-frosted brownie to share). Ryan was already a certified hottie, but summer had made him even cuter, if that was even possible. His skin was a couple shades darker, his hair had fresh sun-streaked highlights, and his arms looked buffer. Just staring at those arms – on full display in a plain black polo shirt, which he'd paired with dark jeans – made me start to fantasize about having them wrapped around me, his lips against mine…

"Alyssa? Earth to 'Liss? Hello, anyone home?" My cheeks burned as Ryan snapped his fingers in front of my face. "What were you thinking about there, space cadet?" he laughed, pulling me into his arms.

"Hmm, doing this," I replied easily, sliding my arms around his neck and leaning up to kiss him. Mmm… kissing Ryan always tasted like heaven.

"Number twenty-two? Number twenty-two, your order's up."

Ryan pulled away, and I pouted. "That's us," he explained sheepishly, and turned around to collect our drinks.

We settled in at one of the tiny tables in the corner. "Just one fork?" I arched one eyebrow as Ryan set the tiny plate with the brownie in the center of the table.

"Open up," he said teasingly, forking off a piece and holding it up to my mouth. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and swallowed it happily. Whether it was the chocolate or simply being with Ryan, I had no idea, but the sheer magnitude of my happiness was enough to overpower the part of me that loathed the thought of being one of _those couples_ (you know, the kind that seem to be unable to spend a minute in each other's company without some form of PDA occurring?).

We sipped our drinks and fed each other bits of brownie for a while, making small talk about our classes, our friends, being back in school in general. I told him about Miriam, but deliberately didn't mention my fight with Lola. He talked about his dad, but thankfully didn't try to bring up Taylor. Neither of us said anything about Alexa.

It was like our conversation was a badminton game – light, airy puffballs of information being volleyed back and forth. Anything too hard or heavy stayed firmly out of bounds.

Finally, I decided enough was enough. "I have to ask you something," I started, licking the last bit of frosting off the fork and then setting it down on the plate.

"Uh oh. This sounds serious," Ryan joked, taking my hand. "What is it, 'Liss?"

I took a deep breath and pulled my hand out of his grasp, reaching up to undo the clasp on my necklace. "Did you know that this is a locket?" I started, fumbling for the lock.

Ryan looked at me oddly. "What does this have to do with anything?"

"It has to do with _everything_." I opened the locket and shoved it in his face. "Do those people look familiar? Hint: They aren't you and me."

He stared at the picture for a minute, until something seemed to click. "That's… my dad and your mom."

"Exactly." I closed the locket and set the necklace on the table. Somehow, I didn't feel right putting it back on just yet. "Did you know about them?"

"Not really… I know my dad had a girlfriend in high school that he gave the necklace to and she gave it back, but I didn't know that it was your mom. Wow, that's kind of… weird. To think, we could've been brother and sister." He shuddered.

I sighed. "And why didn't you tell me about the meaning of this necklace? Why did I have to find out from my _mom_, of all people?"

"I really did mean to tell you. If not for Alexa, I would've told you the night of the dance." I flinched at the mention of Alexa.

"So… do you really mean it?" I couldn't force myself to say the complete thought – _do you really mean I'm the girl you want to be with forever?_ – but luckily for me, Ryan seemed to understand it.

He picked up the necklace and draped it over my collarbone, fastening the clasp in the back. "One hundred percent." His fingers intertwined with mine, and I stroked my fingers along his palm absently.

Then he tugged me into his lap, and proceeded to kiss me until I forgot all about Alexa, our parents, and even my own name.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

"No, no, everything's fine. I've been doing everything the way you told me."

I paused outside the doorway of my room. It was late afternoon, and I was on my way back from my History of the Realms seminar, looking forward to Miriam's and my standing date at the Magic Teacup. (History of the Realms is so boring, I always needed a little pick-me-up afterwards.) Normally, the sound of her on a phone call wouldn't send up any red flags – she often called home or to her old friends back on Isis – but something about this felt different. Her voice was whispery, almost hesitant, and rushed, like she wanted the conversation to be over quickly before anyone discovered her.

_Does Miriam have a boyfriend?_ was my first thought. She'd been at Alfea for a number of months now, but not once had I ever seen her with a guy. Then again, how would she have time to meet someone – and without any of us knowing? And why would she want to keep it a secret?

My interest peaked, I remained hidden in the corner, angling my ear towards the door to hear better.

"No, there aren't any problems," she continued. A pause, and then, "I'm doing the best that I can! It has to seem natural, remember?" _More points towards her having a secret boyfriend_, I thought.

Whoever was on the other line spoke for quite a long time. I almost thought she'd disconnected the call, until I heard her exasperated voice exclaim, "What do you want from me here, Taylor?"

My blood turned to ice in my veins.

Taylor.

Taylor?

TAYLOR?

_Calm down, Alyssa,_ I told myself. _Taylor is a popular name for both girls _and_ boys. This could easily be nothing – in fact, it most likely _is_ nothing. You've been spending too much time thinking about Lola's crackpot theories. Miriam is _not_ in cahoots with Taylor. Not every roommate you have is going to try to murder you._

Still, I couldn't help the shivers that raced down my spine. A picture of Taylor's smug, smirking face appeared in my mind, and I shuddered almost violently, trying to get rid of it.

"I'm not sure I can do this anymore," Miriam continued. Her voice was laced with what sounded a lot like regret. A pang of guilt hit me square in the chest for eavesdropping, and I decided to finally make my presence known.

"Hey, hey, roomie! Ready for some caffeine and sugar?" I flounced into the room and dropped my bag at the foot of my bed, acting like nothing at all was out of the ordinary.

Miriam's eyes flew open and her cheeks flushed pink. "I've gotta go now. Talk to you later," she half-whispered into the phone, closing it quickly and jamming it into the bottom of her denim shoulder bag, which lay open on her bed.

"Who was that?" I asked lightly, trying to keep any hint of accusation out of my voice.

"Oh… no one, really," she insisted, her long blond curls sliding in front of her face, covering it from view.

"Was it a _boy_?" I sing-song teased, desperate to erase the ugly thoughts of Taylor creeping into my mind.

If possible, she blushed even harder. "No! It was… just a friend from back home." I sighed, finally deciding not to push her anymore, and flopped backwards onto my bed, closing my eyes.

"So, are we going? Or do you just want to sleep?"

I opened my eyes and looked up at her. "You know what, I think that lecture really did me in for the afternoon. I'm just gonna take a nap before dinner." The lie tasted bitter on my tongue, which suddenly felt three sizes too big for my mouth.

Her face fell. "Oh… okay. See you at dinner, then." I felt awful, watching her walk away, and wished more than anything that I hadn't overheard her conversation. All it had done was turn me into a paranoid, jumpy mess of nerves.

There was a small mountain of homework waiting in my bag, but I lacked the energy to get up and grab it from the foot of my bed. Instead, I lolled back and closed my eyes, not realizing just how tired I was. _Maybe what I said to Miriam won't be a lie_…

Just as I could feel myself hovering on the periphery of sleep, an ear-splitting squeal jolted me awake. Placing the siren-like wail to my cell phone, I fumbled blindly on my nightstand until I finally located the device in question.

"Hello?"

"Alyssa, sweetie, I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time. Were you sleeping?"

"Mom!" I quickly cleared my throat and blinked rapidly, trying to erase any traces of sleepiness. "No, I just got back from my History of the Realms seminar."

Mom laughed. "Say no more. I understand. I always hated that class too. But wait – don't you and Miriam usually go to the Magic Teacup after History of the Realms?"

I bit my bottom lip. After the trauma Taylor had caused our family, there was no way I was going to tell my mom what I'd just heard. "I… had a ton of homework." Which was technically true, but not the real reason why I'd begged off Magic Teacup.

"Well, then, I won't keep you from your studies for too long. So I was thinking the other night, about how your birthday is coming up, and that I really want to make it special for you this year. I never got too many great birthdays growing up, and God only knows your father doesn't know how to throw a decent party." We both chuckled, and I flashed back to the only time I could remember my dad throwing me a birthday party. (Let's just say that although my dad might be one of the most powerful wizards in the magic dimension, he should not be allowed to use cooking spells. Period.) "And now that we're back in the palace, and we've got the whole place all cleaned up and looking perfect, I want to throw a big party, to really break it in. So I was thinking… how would you like a Sweet Sixteen princess ball?"

My jaw dropped. "That sounds amazing!"

Mom laughed. "I thought you'd like that. There's still a good couple months until your birthday, so we can do most of the planning when you're home for break, but if you could get me an invitations list in the next week or so, that would be ideal. And it's never too soon to start looking for dresses! There are some amazing shops in Magix – and it's not like you have to worry about the price, with Lola."

My face soured at the mention of Lola – we were still on rocky terms, even though it had now been several weeks – but I refused to let my mom know. "Thank you for this, Mom. I mean it. This is… incredible."

"You deserve it, Alyssa. After everything we've put you through, directly or not…" Her voice trailed off, and I knew that both of us were thinking about Taylor. Even though it had been her bounce-back spell that ultimately did the damage, the spell she'd bounced off had been caused by my parents.

I suddenly wished I was sitting next to my mom, so I could squeeze her hand and remind her that none of this was her fault. I settled for saying, "You're the best."

Through the phone, I heard an echo of my dad's voice, sounding very far away. "_Who are you talking to_?" he asked.

"Alyssa, our_ daughter,_" she spat back, almost angrily. "You don't have a problem with me talking to _her_, do you?"

"Um, Mom? I'm still here, you know." I hesitated. "Do I want to know what that's about?"

She sighed. "Your father and I are having a bit of a… disagreement, over my wanting to spend time with Sky."

"_Can you blame me for not wanting you around that pretty-boy douche-bag? He's single now, and for all I know he's trying to make a move on you_." I winced.

"Baltor, not now!" she snapped. I heard him sigh, then what sounded like footsteps.

"Are you and Dad… okay?" I ventured. Sure, things had been a little rocky between them when I went home to visit a few weeks ago, but I figured they'd be back to their normal sickening sweetness in no time. I hadn't even considered the possibility that they wouldn't patch things up. I shuddered at the thought.

Mom hesitated for a long moment, during which sextuplets could've been birthed. "We're… just working out a few issues. We've been in a kind of bubble state ever since I returned, and eventually every bubble has to pop."

"And Sky is holding the pin." Despite the fact that he was Ryan's dad, I couldn't resist that jab.

"Sky may be involved, but he isn't the root of this problem. It's been there for a while; we just always ignored it. _Now_, young lady, didn't you say you have homework to do?"

I sighed. Amazing how even from millions of miles (and several planets) away, she could still convey the 'strict mom' thing. "Love you, Mom. I'll talk to you later."

"Love you too, sweetie." The phone went dead in my ear.

I chucked it in the direction of my nightstand, not really caring if it made its target or not. My mind was too busy worrying about my parents' marriage.

_Please, God, for the love of everything that is good in this world, don't let my parents split up. I need them._

" 'Liss? You there?" Aqua poked her head in the doorway. She wore a tight sea-foam-green tank top and a pair of tiny denim shorts, with her thick curls tied back off her face – her usual uniform.

"Present."

"Where's Miriam?"

"I have no clue." Just hearing her name brought back all those horrible memories of eavesdropping on her phone call, and blowing her off because my mind was jumping to hideous conclusions. If only I could apologize to her somehow… but then I'd have to explain what I was apologizing _for_.

"Good." She sat down on the foot of my bed, and I propped myself up against my headboard to face her. "I know she's your roommate and all, and that you really like her, but I'm a little suspicious. I just heard her on the phone with someone, and–"

"You were eavesdropping too?"

"So you know what I'm talking about," Aqua continued, like I hadn't just accused her of spying. "Seriously, 'Liss, doesn't that send up _any_ red flags? The secrecy, the hushed voices, the repeated assurances, _Taylor_?"

"My God, you're as bad as Lola." I rolled my eyes and buried my face in my hands. "What _is_ it with you guys and Miriam? Do you feel _threatened_ because I'm hanging out with someone who isn't one of the five of you?" Somewhere in the back of my mind, a little voice was reminding me that I was being extremely hypocritical, considering how I'd been all about to jump on Miriam not ten minutes earlier, but I silenced it.

"I'm just saying, you can never be too careful."

"Yes, you can," I insisted. "Miriam has been nothing but nice to you all ever since she got here, and all she gets in response is the cold shoulder and rumors that she's going to pull a Taylor. I just don't understand it."

"Your last roommate tried to _kill_ you. _I_ don't understand why you aren't more paranoid."

"Aqua, I don't want to fight with you, so maybe you should just leave now before anything drastic happens," I said slowly, getting up off my bed and walking towards the desk in the corner with my school bag.

"Alyssa, I'm not trying to badmouth Miriam or anything. I know you really like her, and that it bugs you that the rest of us aren't as close with her yet. But I care about _you_. I don't want to see you get hurt again. Believe me, I only have your best interests in mind when I say this." I turned around to meet her intense brown eyes, seeing only kindness in them. My resolve softened a bit. At least she seemed less anti-Miriam and more concerned for me – unlike Lola.

"I… I'll think about it, Aqua," I said finally.

Her face brightened, and she threw her volleyball-toned arms around my shoulders, squeezing me in a tight hug. I inhaled deeply, taking in her signature scent – a combination of salt water, coconut sunscreen, and kiwi body oil. (It sounds weird, but on Aqua, it smelled just as good as any of the thousand-dollar concoctions in the fancy glass bottles lined up on Lola's vanity.) "I just want you to be safe, 'Liss." With that, she turned around and walked out.

I pulled out a textbook and tried to make sense of the words on the page, but eventually gave up even trying to keep up the pretense. My head was swimming with a virtual information overload – Miriam, the mysterious phone call, my birthday ball, Sky, my parents, Aqua…

And I thought sophomore year was going to be _easy_ compared to last year.

_ Will I ever get a break?_

* * *

**Author's Note: ****So? Thoughts?**

**Before anyone asks, I refuse to answer any queries as to how the Sky-Bloom-Baltor love triangle subplot is going to end up. Period. These lips are zipped. So please don't bug me about it. (That includes you, E!)**

**Now that I've got that out of the way, I'm interested to see what you all think. Who thinks they've got Miriam figured out? (I can almost guarantee you're wrong, but I said at the very beginning of this story that I won't answer any questions about her.) Are you all excited for Alyssa's princess ball/Sweet Sixteen? (Hint: you should be.) Was the conversation with Aqua alright? (My big worry writing that was making her OOC, but there's really not too much characterization of her so far - hence my problem.)**

**Next chapter should be up soon.**

**Au revoir!**

**- Authoress**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

"What's the verdict on this one?" Lola stepped out of her dressing room in a bright red strapless dress with a sweetheart neckline and rhinestone belt at the waist. The eye-catching focal point of this dress, though, was its long, tiered red lace skirt, which just brushed the ground, even with the high heels she'd brought expressly for trying on dresses. ("Buying an evening dress is _so_ hard, and that's without having to worry about whether you'll spend half the night tripping over your skirt or hoisting it up every time you want to take a step," she'd insisted, when Mel asked if it was really necessary for her to bring heels with her.)

I looked up from the rack I'd been skimming through halfheartedly and gave her a quick once-over. "Gorgeous, Lo, just like the last _five_ you've tried on. Honestly, you'd think that this was _your_ party, not mine. Any chance you want to help me out here instead of preening like a peacock?"

Her glossy lips slid into a pout, but that quickly vanished. "Try on that blue one," she said, pointing to the one dress I had slung over my arm. "I bet it'll be stunning."

"Yeah, 'Liss, it's not our fault that you're being too picky," Aqua insisted, appearing from behind the curtain next to Lola in a fuchsia-pink one-shoulder silk gown with a diagonally pleated bodice. The color popped against her dark skin, and the style showed off her trim, athletic body. "They've got some really nice stuff here."

"Alright, alright, I'll go try it on." I dropped the silk skirt of the eggplant-purple halter dress I'd been halfheartedly considering and headed for a curtain of my own.

It was the last day of classes for the fall semester. Everyone's stuff was all packed up and ready to go to our respective homes for the winter break, but before we all parted ways for two weeks, Lola had suggested a shopping trip in Magix.

The others had taken to it easily, without question – who would say no to a chance to shop? – but I knew in my heart that it was, in her own way, Lola's extending of an olive branch. Since our fight, we had been walking on eggshells around each other, never addressing the problem as if by not talking about it, it would simply go away. Now, enough time had passed for me to not be so mad at her anymore, but I knew that something had changed in our relationship – quite possibly for good.

"Come on, Alyssa! I want to see it already!" Lola's voice startled me from my thoughts, and I quickly pulled up the side zip the last inch or so, watching the full skirt swirl around my legs as I moved.

"Did I call it or what?" my blond friend cooed, pouncing on me the second I pulled the curtain back. "You look all kinds of fabulous in that thing, girl."

"Lola's right," Ivy said, looking up from the magazine she was leafing through, sprawled across the pink velvet ottoman in the back by the dressing rooms. "That color is beautiful with your hair and skin tone."

"Where're my props?" Lola laughed, coming around behind me and grabbing sections of my hair. "With your hair pulled up like this, something sparkly from the Sparx Royal Treasure Vault… can't you see it, 'Liss?"

I stared at myself in the mirror, trying to see why my friends were so awestruck. It was a pretty dress, no doubt – full-length bright blue satin, strapless with a pleated bodice, sparkling rhinestone pin at the waist, and a faux-wrap layer skirt. Still… call it a superstition, maybe, but I felt like when I had found the right dress, I would just _know_.

"I don't know, you guys," I said, stepping away from the mirror. "I don't think this is the one."

A collective groan rang out among my friends, clustered in the back of the store. "You're worse than a _bride_, 'Liss," Mel said, emerging from deeper within the store, armfuls of fabric draped over her arms. "What are you looking for anyways?"

"I'll know it when I see it," I insisted, turning back towards the dressing room.

"Oh my God, Alyssa! Fancy running into you here!" My blood turned to ice water at the sound of that voice, familiar but definitely _not_ friendly.

_What the hell is _she_ doing here?_

"Alexa!" I turned around to face her, plastering on a smile that was faker than Lola's nails. "What are you doing here?"

"Dress shopping; what else, silly?" She leaned in and squeezed me in a tight hug, filling my nostrils with the spicy scent of her perfume. My eyes watered slightly, and I resisted the urge to gag. When she released me, I saw two other girls hovering behind her, looking slightly put out that Alexa hadn't introduced them.

As if she could sense their annoyance, she turned around and pulled them forward. "Where are my manners! Alyssa, this is Kyra and Lucy, my roommates. Girls, this is Alyssa, the girl I was telling you about."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Alyssa," the first girl – Kyra – said, outstretching a hand with fingers manicured in chipping purple nail polish for me to shake. She was petite, with shoulder-length brown hair streaked with honey-blond, and bright green eyes shaded by a pair of stylish purple-framed glasses that she somehow managed to make look cute and not remotely dorky. She wore a pair of dark jeans and a purple V-neck cashmere sweater, the only makeup on her face a trace amount of lip gloss. I decided I liked her already (in spite of the company she kept).

"So _you_'re Alyssa," the other girl – Lucy – remarked coolly, studying her French-manicured nails. Unlike Kyra, she didn't give me her hand to shake, nor did she offer any variation on "nice to meet you". She was tall, with long blond hair, blue eyes dramatically lined in black eyeliner, and plump Cupid's-bow lips slicked with coral gloss. Her clothes were stylish and trendy, if maybe a little weather-inappropriate: a tiny denim miniskirt with a frayed hem, and a long blue-and-white-striped cardigan over a tight black tank top (that showed off her… ahem, _considerable assets_).

Having eyeballed her two appendages, I turned my gaze back to Alexa. She wore a dark blue sleeveless mini-dress that clung to her slender frame like it was painted on, with only a small black half-sleeve sweater as a nod to the weather. Her makeup was flawless, and her hair fell down her back in a long glossy curtain, as always. That silver _A_ pendant necklace hung around her neck, and for a moment I thought she'd worn it deliberately to remind me of her shared history with Ryan. _Don't be stupid, Alyssa,_ I reminded myself. _Not everything is always about you._

"You look so cute!" Alexa squealed, fingering part of the skirt of my dress. "What are you guys shopping for, anyways?"

"Oh, um, my birthday," I admitted shyly, playing with the rhinestone pin at the waistline.

Her eyes lit up. "Oh, happy birthday!"

I giggled. "It's not for another month or so. We're just dress-shopping early. Can't hurt, right?"

"No, it cannot," she laughed. "Well, good luck. I hope you find your perfect dress. Come on, girls, let's go see that personal shopper." The three of them disappeared into the racks of dresses, the strong, sweet smell of her perfume lingering in the air.

Lola was the first to speak. "Ugh," she said, waving her hand through the cloud of lingering perfume. "That girl makes me sick."

"Shh! Lola!" Ivy snapped. "She could hear you."

"So?" Ivy rolled her eyes.

"I don't trust her either," Aqua declared. "Anyone with half a brain can tell that she's only acting nice, and it doesn't even take that much smarts to see that she wants Ryan back. She's up to something, I'm sure of it, and that means our Alyssa is likely to get caught in the crossfire."

I laughed. "It's sweet that you guys are so worried about me, but I'm a big girl, remember? I think I can take care of myself. And right now, I just want to find the perfect dress." I swiveled my body, examining the dress from every angle in the mirror. "Which is _definitely _not this one." I headed back into the dressing room.

As I changed back into my regular clothes, a tiny part of me wondered if maybe they had a point. It certainly wasn't outside of the realm of possibility for Alexa to be setting me up. She wanted Ryan back, and who knew how far she'd go to get him? I shuddered, and made a mental note to call Ryan later tonight to schedule a date for while we were off from school.

When I came back out, I saw Lola and Dee posing in front of the mirror. "This is it," Lola declared. "This is the one."

"Very nice," I agreed, collapsing into a chair next to Ivy. The dress was pure Lola-style – hot pink silk chiffon and sleeveless, with a daringly low-cut V-neck, tight-fitting ruched bodice, and open back. Bands of rhinestone design encircled the bust and waist, with more rhinestones studded on the slim shoulder straps, and a long flowy skirt fell almost to the floor. Flashy, sexy, and stylish, and pink to boot; it was a perfect match for my most fashionista friend.

"I know, right?" She did a little twirl. "Are we almost all done here? I'm suddenly starving."

"I think so," Aqua said, coming out of her dressing room empty-handed. "D, you good? Mel, are you almost done in there?"

"Aw, A, you're not getting that pink dress? That was really pretty on you."

"Nah." She wrinkled her nose. "I guess when it comes down to it, I'm just not a pink girl."

"Well your loss is my incredible gain," Lola exclaimed, twirling around the tiny space again.

Aqua sized her up. "Very pretty, Lo. Now why don't you stop doing your best ballerina impression and get changed so we can go eat?" Lola sighed, but headed back into the dressing room. "Dee, what's your verdict?"

"I really like this," Dee said, twisting her body to examine herself from all angles. "What do you guys think?" She wore a full-length dark purple satin strapless gown with a fully pleated bodice and cinched empire waist trimmed with intricate crystal beading. The fabric was gathered below the bead trim, but then fell in a long, straight column towards her feet.

"Stunning," Miriam said.

"Ah-greed," Lola added. "Okay, great, Dee and I both have dresses. Let's go get lunch!"

"Not so fast, Lo," I reminded her. "Mel's still in there, remember?" She pouted, and I laughed.

"Hurry up, Mel," Aqua called. "Lola's starving, and we all know how she gets when she's in one of her moods."

Mel's laugh rang out over the curtain. "I'll be out in a minute." There was a sound like the rustle of fabric, and then she yanked back the curtain and stepped out into the center. "Well? What do you think?"

"…Wow…" Lola seemed to be at a loss for words.

"That dress looks like it was _made_ for you," Aqua said.

I had to agree with her. It was an elegant black-and-white mermaid-fit strapless number with a multi-layered white fringe-detailed bodice and a royal blue satin sash tied at the empire waist. The skirt was long, black, and slinky, hugging the curve of her hips and falling all the way to the floor, ending in a slight flare.

Mel stood in front of the mirror, twisting from side to side. "I don't know… It feels so…"

"Glamorous?" Ivy tried.

"Sexy?" Aqua supplied.

"Not me," Mel finished. "It's so long and slinky… it feels a little stuffy, honestly. And how am I going to dance with this long skirt?"

"But it's so perfect! You have to get it," I insisted. "You could always get it hemmed, if you're really that concerned about not being able to dance."

"Get it or don't get it, I don't really care," Lola remarked, flopping backwards onto a couch, all excitement at Mel's incredible find having vanished into thin air. "Can we just _go_ already?"

"Wow, I never thought I'd see the day when Lola is complaining about too much shopping," I laughed. "Why don't you and Dee go pay for your dresses? That'll save us some time, which means we can get out of here faster." Her eyes brightened; dresses in hand, the two of them headed for the cash register.

Mel pursed her lips, studying herself intently in the mirror. "I just don't know if I could feel comfortable in something like this."

"Mel, you're a knockout," Aqua said. "If you don't get that dress, it will be a crime against fashion."

She giggled. "I don't know… Hey Alyssa, help me unzip?" She gestured towards the dressing room.

I stood up and followed her, a little confused; obviously, she'd managed to get the dress _on_ by herself without help, so why would she need me to help her get it off?

The reason became immediately clear as soon as she yanked the curtain door shut. "I need to talk to you about Miriam," she said, turning to face me, arms crossed over her chest.

"Not you too," I groaned. "What did Aqua tell you?"

She didn't even try to deny it. "I know it's hard for you to hear this, after what happened with Taylor and all, but it's _because_ of that that you really should be more careful. And did you notice how weird she acts sometimes? Like how she'll only go somewhere if you're going there too? And you rarely ever see her with any other girls? I mean, I know the six of us are kind of a little circle, but at least we have some friends outside the dorm. Miriam doesn't. It's like she's, I don't know, got a specific _purpose _for being at Alfea – and not just to learn how to control her magic. And whatever that is, it has to do with you."

"Mel, you've officially been watching too many old crime dramas," I said, shaking my head. "Did you ever think that maybe it's because Miriam's my roommate, so we're naturally more close than she is to anyone else? And that because she was home-schooled, she doesn't really know how to act in an environment with so many new people? Cut her some slack, for God's sake! Just because she's blond and comes from Isis doesn't mean she's Taylor's clone or something."

Mel sighed. "Whatever. If you don't want to listen, it's not my fault. Unzip me?" She twisted her body so the zipper was facing me.

I yanked it down without saying a word, then parted the curtain just enough to slip through, still shaking my head, deep in thought. _First Lola, then Aqua, now Mel. What is it with all my friends and hating on Miriam?_

"Is everything okay, Alyssa?" Miriam asked, looking up from her magazine. _Speak of the devil…_

"Of course," I replied quickly, banishing those bad thoughts from my mind.

Mel emerged from her dressing room a couple minutes later, the black and white dress slung over her arm. "So? What's the verdict?" Aqua asked.

She inhaled. "I think I'm gonna get it."

Aqua grinned. "You're going to be the hit of the party."

"Don't I know it!" She laughed, and I saw the familiar fun-loving, mischievous light in her eyes. "You better step up your game, 'Liss, or else I'm going to outdo you at your own party!"

"Not a chance!" I retorted, laughing along with them.

Lola flounced back over to us, a giant tissue-paper-stuffed bag in hand. "Well? Is Mel getting that dress or not?"

"I am," she said, already heading in the direction of the cash register.

"Well then hurry up," Lola declared, throwing herself down onto the nearest chair. "I'm starving."

"Where should we go for lunch?" Ivy asked.

"There's a great pizza place not far from here," Dee supplied, already looking it up on her portable laptop (it was so tiny it folded up – somehow – into a bracelet).

The other girls started chattering away, all mentioning their favorite kinds of food or well-known restaurants in downtown Magix, but I found my eyes drifting over to Miriam. She was still sitting slightly off to the side, reading her magazine, as if the conversation wasn't even happening.

_She's barely been to Magix before. Of course she wouldn't have anything to add to the conversation_, I rationalized. But Mel's words had stirred up something in a corner of my brain. I couldn't help it – I stole another glance at her. If a random onlooker passed by, I doubted they would know she was with us.

_Could she really feel that out of place with the rest of my friends?_ I wondered. _And worse: is there any way that Mel – and Aqua, and Lola – aren't crazy?_

* * *

**Author's Note: ****I am holding a contest. Yes, that's right - a contest. You see, as good as I am with coming up with dresses, I'm not that great with fairy transformation outfits. And while I'm not spilling any spoilers, I do need those in the later parts of this book and certainly in the third book (which I _am_ going to write!). So I am opening it up to all of you. Send me a PM with a detailed description of someone's (can be any one of the six, or Miriam too) outfit - can look like anything you want - and if I like it, not only will I give you major credit in my story, there are also some fabulous prizes to be won. Yes, prizes - everything from spoilers to the right to create an original character to go in one of my new stories. Even if you're not one of the ones chosen, I will still give an honorable mention (and perhaps something more...) to anyone who's brave enough to give it a try. So what've you got to lose? (And remember, the longer it takes me to get an outfit I like, the longer it will take me to write the last chapters. And y'all don't want that, do you?)**

**One more thing: Alyssa's is most critical, so whoever gets hers will get a bigger prize, hint hint.**

**Toodles!**

**- Authoress**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

"Alyssa? Did I catch you at a bad time?"

"Miriam!" I squealed, excited to hear from my friend after almost a week of not speaking. (I know that sounds like barely anything, especially since it's vacation, but when you go to an all-girls boarding school like Alfea, your girlfriends become your family.) "Not at all, girl." I settled back down on my bed, cell phone in hand, nestling into the mound of fluffy pillows piled at the headboard and undoubtedly causing the maids' silent wrath for ruining their fastidious handiwork. "What's up? Family getting to you?"

"Sort of," Miriam said. "Lily is being her usual annoying self, and my parents keep bugging me about whether I like it at Alfea and if I'm alright in Magix by myself. I guess I should've known this kind of interrogation was coming – going from home-schooling to boarding school is a big jump – but that didn't make it any more pleasant. Overall it was nice, though."

"I'd take an interrogation about Alfea over my current situation any day," I sighed.

"What's wrong?"

Where to begin? Last year, over the break, I'd watched my friends go off home enviously, wishing I had a real family to return to instead of an overbearing, too-strict dad who hardly talked to me and a tiny, cramped house with barely enough space for me to turn around in. And now that I had what I'd dreamed of having – two loving parents, and a freaking palace to boot – I almost wished I was spending the break at Alfea, like I had last year.

The palace was bigger, but that also meant it was lonelier. And since I'd only been living in it for maybe a month over the summer (the rest of the time was spent realm-hopping to visit my friends and Ryan), I'd gotten lost more than once, trying to find my way around. As for my parents… Their fight seemed to keep getting _worse_, rather than better. While they'd never progressed to actually _yelling_ at each other (at least, not in front of me…), every interaction felt strained, and they certainly weren't giggling and making out all the time like hormonal teenagers. (You'd think that would be a relief, since they're my _parents_, but I would give almost anything to have them go back to the way things were, if it meant they would stop fighting already.)

I was also worried about Ryan. We'd talked on the phone a couple times, but every time he always insisted there was no way he could sneak off for a couple hours to come see me. I wasn't convinced he was _lying_ to me, per se; he'd mentioned having to be there for his dad, and to put on a good face for the public in the aftermath of Taylor-gate, which was certainly believable. Yet Alexa had crept into my brain, taking root and wrapping herself around my thoughts of my perfect boyfriend like the snake she was. I couldn't help see her smiling face that day in the dress shop, the sinister-seeming glint in her eye. This wasn't just paranoia talking; something was not kosher there, I was sure of it.

But just _thinking_ about all the ways my life was screwed up right now made my head hurt, and I certainly didn't want to burden poor Miriam with this – not when _she_ seemed to be having such a good time with her family. "Oh, everything and nothing," I replied offhandedly, trying to sound casual again. "Mostly I'm just worried about my party. I can't believe Lola, Dee, and Mel found dresses, but _I_ didn't. I mean, whose party is it anyways?"

She laughed. "You'll find something soon, 'Liss. I know you will." She paused. "Hey, do you want to go shopping today?"

My eyes lit up at the thought of getting off of Sparx. "I'd love to!" I exclaimed, sitting up straight.

"Awesome." I could almost see her smile. "So, meet you at the portal center in half an hour?"

My face fell as I realized that she thought I'd meant for her to come here. "You know, I've kind of already been to the major stores here on Sparx with my mom, and so far, nada." A lie, yes (unlike on other visits, Mom and I had barely spent any time together that didn't feel forced, like family dinners), but necessary if I wanted to escape the stifling chokehold of my problems. "What if I came to you?" Isis was supposedly realm-renowned for their fashion, second only to Solaria.

Miriam hesitated, for longer than maybe should've been necessary. "The selection here's pretty bad right now too. I went looking for my own dress, and there's only very slim pickings left. You wouldn't want to come here. Plus… I've got a ton of family visiting right now, and if I bring you here, they'll just bombard us both with questions until it's way past time for you to get home." I could've sworn I detected a trace of guilt in her tone, but it vanished quickly.

"Oh." I didn't try to keep the disappointment out of my voice. "Well then, where should we go?"

"What about Earth?"

"Earth?"

"Why not? I can almost guarantee no one else that's going to your party will have thought of going there. There'll be way more to choose from, with _so_ many untapped resources. Not to mention we'll be light-years away from both our families, and without magic, maybe you can start to forget about whatever's on your mind."

Well, when she presented it that way… "Sounds good. Where should we meet?"

"Let's start our search in Paris. I could go for some authentic croissants and cappuccino before a long day of shopping."

I giggled. "Ooh-la-la…" She laughed too. "Sounds like a plan. See you then."

"Alyssa!" I heard my mom call from downstairs.

"In a minute!" I yelled back, tossing my phone onto my bed. After a quick tangle with my closet, I decided on jeans and a purple T-shirt under a black hoodie, with matching purple suede boots that had been a present from Mel. I scooped up my phone, wallet, and other shopping essentials, tossed them into my current favorite bag of choice (an oversized turquoise leather tote with silver studding and chain straps), then swiped on some lip gloss and mascara, clasped on Ryan's necklace, and headed downstairs to find my mom.

"Hey, sweetie," she said, looking up from whatever she was writing. She was still in her teal satin nightgown and matching robe, her bright red hair spilling around her shoulders in messy, bed-head curls. Normally, seeing Mom in her nightgown at 10:00 in the morning would mean that she and Dad had had a late night (enough said…), but from the looks of things she'd simply gotten caught up in whatever she was doing and forgotten to get dressed. "Where're you going? You look nice."

"Miriam invited me to go shopping with her, to look for dresses for my party."

"Sounds fun," she said going back to her list. "I guess I have to start thinking about a dress soon, don't I?" She chewed on the end of her pen absentmindedly, her eyes glazed over like she was only half there.

"I'll keep a lookout for anything that might look good on you, if you'd like," I offered quickly, trying to bring back her focus.

She smiled. "Thanks, sweetie. You have enough money?"

"I'm sure we'll be fine." I paused, torn between leaving right away to go meet Miriam and trying to help my mom with whatever was troubling her. "What's all this?" I asked, picking up a handful of the discarded, half scribbled-on papers that littered the tabletop.

"Oh, these?" Mom looked up and grabbed them out of my hands, the pen leaving her mouth, her eyes fully alert (thank God). "I've been trying to work out a guest list for your party. We need to send out invitations as soon as possible, since there's so little time to the date. But I can't start figuring out how many people your father and I are inviting until I have your list, so is there any way you could try to get me that some time in the next day or two?"

"Sure. No problem." It wasn't an unreasonable request by any means, but more than that, the way she'd said "your father and I" gave me hope. They would get through this, and things would go back to normal; they had to.

Satisfied that Mom seemed sane enough, and that my parents' marriage wasn't hanging by a thread, I got up and grabbed my bag, turning to leave. As I did, I accidentally knocked over some more papers. Feeling my cheeks burn at my own clumsiness, I quickly ducked down to pick them up.

I wasn't _trying_ to read them, I swear, but one name caught my eye. How could it not, with all the crossing-out and rewriting, circling and question marks?

"_Sky_? You want to invite _Sky_ to my birthday ball?"

Mom flinched, and I realized too late that the question had probably come out a little more harshly than I'd intended it to. "I still haven't decided for sure about him," she started, sounding much more fragile than a minute ago.

"Decided what about who?" My eyes widened as Dad's voice filled the room. Almost subconsciously, I crumpled up the paper with Sky's name written all over it and hid it in my fist.

"Good morning, sweetheart," Mom said, getting up from the table, her robe slipping off one shoulder; she made no move to pull it back into place. Her voice, which before had been frazzled-sounding and sleepy, took on a cooing lilt, as she came up to his side and placed her hands on either side of his jaw, reaching up to kiss his cheek. I had to admire the fact that she was trying – it certainly couldn't be easy, with him always in a bad mood these days. "Did you have breakfast yet? I could make you something if you'd like."

"I'm fine, thanks." He brushed past her and headed towards the table, still half-covered in papers. Behind him, I saw her face fall, and momentarily wanted to punch Dad for treating her like this, regardless of whether they were in a fight. "What's all this?" he asked, scooping up a couple of papers.

"These? Oh, I'm just trying to figure out the guest list for Alyssa's party." Mom flitted back over, her voice still high and sweet but somewhat defensive at the same time. "I know it's a ways off, but it can never hurt to start thinking about these things, can it?"

He seemed to not hear her, scanning the names written on the bits of paper. I saw her jaw set somewhat angrily, as she yanked at the tie on her robe. "Did you sleep well, Dad?" I asked, trying to distract him a bit.

As if he'd just realized I was there, he looked up at me, his face softening. "Oh, good morning Alyssa. I slept fine, thank you." Looking me over, he added, "Are you going somewhere?"

"Dress shopping, with Miriam," I babbled on, hoping he'd lose interest in the papers. I wasn't sure if the paper in my hand was the only one with Sky's name on it, and I did not want to have to listen to Part XV of the Sky argument.

"Miriam, huh? Is she the one I don't know?" I could hear him starting to abandon interest in the papers, and I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling.

"Yeah, she's my new roommate," I continued. "I can't wait for you guys to meet her at my party; she's so amazing."

"Sounds nice, honey." Though he'd dropped the papers back to the table, I could tell he hadn't completely lost interest. My eyes widened as I saw him stiffen, his golden eyes landing on a three-letter name.

Mom seemed to sense the change too, subtle as it was. I saw her cross her arms over her chest, adopting a defensive stance, as Dad turned around to face her with the paper in hand, his eyes cold as stone. "Why is Sky's name on this list?"

"He's my friend."

"And your ex. Who's made it no secret that he wants you back." His eyes flashed with anger as he tore the paper into tiny little pieces that fell to the floor like confetti.

"And _I_ have made it very clear that that ship has passed. We're inviting Ryan; it would be positively rude not to invite Sky too." My breath caught in my throat as I saw the same intense anger mirrored in her eyes. "Why is it so hard for you to just trust me?"

His fist came down on the table, and both Mom and I jumped. "Damn it, Bloom, you're not exactly making it very easy for me to do that."

"You could at least _try_ and act like our marriage vows mean something to you!" she retorted.

"_I'm_ not the one running around with someone who carries a blatantly obvious torch for me."

"Will you two please stop fighting already!" I didn't realize I'd actually _said_ what I was thinking until I saw both of them staring at me, slack-jawed. _Oops_…

"See what this is doing to our daughter?" Mom asked angrily, recovering quickly. "Our beautiful, smart, talented daughter, whose birthday is coming up and who should not have to listen to her parents fight like this?"

"_I'm_ not the one who started it," Dad grumbled, but his face softened nonetheless.

"Yes you are," I heard her murmur under her breath. His eyes flickered, but he didn't call her out on it.

After an uncomfortable moment of tense, awkward silence, I slung my bag over my shoulder and turned toward the door. "Um, I'll see you guys later, okay?"

Without waiting for a response, I bolted out of the kitchen.

* * *

"Okay, I give up. My perfect dress just does not exist." I collapsed into the chair across from Miriam and heaved an enormous sigh.

"Oh come on, don't be like that, Alyssa," Miriam insisted, setting down a mug of hot chocolate in front of me. "It's out there somewhere; you just haven't found it yet."

"Well if it's out there, I'd like to know where." I raised the steaming mug to my lips and took a long sip, the warm, chocolaty liquid heating me up from the inside out. In my haste to get out of the house this morning, I'd forgotten that the weather on Earth was much harsher than in the rest of the magical dimension without the wonders of climate-control spells, and was woefully underdressed in just my T-shirt and hoodie. I could (and did) cast a minor heat spell so I wouldn't _freeze_, but there were limits to using magic on Earth, of course, and too much would alert other people to the fact that there was something off. Miriam, at least, was more prepared, in a long black wool coat and burgundy knit scarf wrapped around her neck that matched her slim-fit cords tucked into black boots, a cute black knit hat with a pom-pom on top atop her long blond curls.

I gulped down more hot chocolate and sighed. We had combed through all the best shopping centers Earth had to offer: the Champs-Elysees in Paris, the Mall of the Emirates in Dubai (that place with the indoor ski hall), Melrose Avenue and Rodeo Drive in LA, Madison and Fifth in New York, the Fashion Show Mall in Las Vegas, and we'd just finished looking through Harvey Nichols in London. Everywhere it was the same – lots of beautiful dresses, but none that really stood out to me. _Maybe Mel and the others were right,_ I mused, taking another sip of my drink. _Maybe I am being too picky._

"You'll find it, Alyssa." Miriam placed her hand over mine. "And anyway, today was fun, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, it was fun," I smiled, but something in my eyes must have betrayed otherwise.

"And you're _sure_ you don't want to talk about what happened before you left?"

I nodded. Miriam had been incredibly understanding when I showed up at our agreed-upon meeting place, late, breathless, and upset, but refusing to talk about it. That hadn't stopped her from pushing (gently, of course) every so often, though. Each time she was met with the same non-response, but to her credit, she never stopped trying to be a good friend. I just didn't want to talk about it.

What happened this morning with my parents had honestly scared me. I'd slowly gotten used to their fighting, but up until now I'd always figured that this was just a passing phase, and that sooner or later they'd make up. This morning's fight, though, chilled me to the core. For the first time, I wondered if maybe they wouldn't recover from this.

_No_, I mentally berated myself. _Don't think like that. They _will_ stop fighting eventually._

"So, back home now?" Miriam said, draining the last of her hot chocolate.

I swallowed the last of mine and sighed. "I guess. I just can't believe this whole thing was a total wash."

"Hey, it wasn't a wash! We got to escape our families and have some honest-to-goodness girl bonding time. I'd say that was pretty nice, wouldn't you?"

The bitingly cold wind hit me like a slap in the face as we stepped outside. For the millionth time today, I realized that I didn't deserve someone as nice as Miriam as my friend, especially not with the way I'd been acting lately. "Yeah, it was. Sorry, Miriam, I'm just in a crap mood today."

"It's alright. Everybody has those days." We started walking up the snow-covered sidewalk, both knowing without having to say a word that we were looking for a quiet, discreet place to open a portal back home. As we walked, I couldn't help keep an eye out on the storefronts. Earth was so pretty this time of year – all the red and gold balls and bells and boughs of greenery with red ribbons, the stars and twinkling lights and candy canes. Everything was so pretty and colorful and festive. It made me wish that there was something like Christmas in the magical realms.

"Wait!" I ground to a halt outside a tiny storefront. Miriam, who was several paces ahead of me, turning around, confused, and doubled back to see what had made me stop.

The store looked barely bigger than my walk-in closet in the palace, but it had a cozy sort of charm to it, even from the outside. The sign over the door, written in swirling, Edwardian-style cursive, read _Preserved Memories_.

Miriam wrinkled her pert little nose. "I never understood the concept of vintage clothes. Why would you want to buy something that someone else already wore? Besides, I can almost guarantee that they won't have evening gowns. Come on, Alyssa, we have to get home."

"I want to go in," I insisted, pulling open the door. Miriam rolled her eyes but followed me in anyways.

Inside, Preserved Memories was just as quaint and cozy as I'd imagined it would be. The walls were painted a deep, warm, nut-brown shade, with gold trim. All of the furniture, even the throw rugs on the aged but burnished hardwood floors, looked antique. It was a tiny space, but somehow the racks of clothes that lined the walls didn't make it look even smaller.

The only other person there seemed to be an old woman sitting behind the counter, reading a book. When she saw us, she looked up and smiled. "What can I do for you lovely ladies today?"

Miriam immediately dropped down into the nearest armchair, grabbing a magazine off the table and turning up her nose at the selection. "Pardon my friend," I apologized. "It's been a long day."

"All is forgiven," the old woman smiled. "My name is Marianne."

"Alyssa," I said. "It's my birthday in a couple months, and my parents are hosting a… a big formal party in my honor. And I need a dress. I was hoping… maybe your store has one?"

"Preserved Memories is an odd choice for such an important occasion," Marianne commented, flipping through one of the racks in the back. "You look like someone with money to spend. Wouldn't you have better luck in Selfridges, or Covent Garden, or perhaps even Harvey Nichols right around the corner?"

I felt my cheeks flush, although I didn't quite know why. "We went there already, but there was nothing that caught my attention."

"So why come here?"

"There's something about this place that just… drew me in." The words were out of my mouth before I really even knew what I was saying, and behind me I could hear Miriam snort.

Marianne smiled widely, like that was just the answer she'd been looking for. "Well, Alyssa, I do think I can help you. It just so happens we have something new – just got it in, haven't even gotten around to putting it out on the racks yet – that I think would be perfect for you. Wait here a moment while I go find it."

"You're seriously into this, 'Liss?" Miriam asked, while Marianne was in the back.

"I don't know. I wasn't lying when I said that something sort of drew me here. And now that we're already here, well, it can't hurt to look, can it?" She just rolled her eyes and went back to her magazine.

Marianne returned from the back of the store holding a light-as-air green dress. "This is it," she said proudly, handing it to me. "What do you think?"

I was speechless. This was it. _The one_.

It was long and simple, a slim column of pale aqua-green silk with a filmy chiffon overlay in the same pale green color. There was a halter neckline that gave way to a deep V-neck, and a gathered empire-waist, but other than that it was remarkably simple.

"Try it on," Marianne urged me, pointing me towards the dressing room at the back of the shop. Wordlessly, I let my feet carry me there, still unable to speak.

Marianne was beaming when I came out. "Isn't it perfect?"

"Wow, 'Liss, you look really pretty," Miriam said. "Maybe I was wrong about this place."

I checked myself out in the mirror. As deceptively simple as it was on the hanger, it was effortlessly flawless on. The silk skimmed over my curves and highlighted them without being too inappropriate for such a formal occasion. I twisted back and forth, watching the skirt swirl slightly around my legs.

"It fits like it was made for you," Marianne commented, coming up from behind me. "And look, it even goes with your necklace."

I reached down to finger the locket lying against my exposed collarbone, realizing that she was right. The gold didn't clash with the pale green; in fact, it brought out the streaks in my hair and my unusual eyes.

Apparently, Marianne was thinking along the same lines too. "You have such interesting eyes, Alyssa. So emotional."

"They're from my dad's side of the family," I offered lamely.

"I can see much within them. Something is troubling you, my dear." I paused, wondering how she could tell just by looking at my eyes. "You are under a great deal of stress from many angles. Do not fear, my dear. Remember, there is always a rainbow at the end of the storm."

I blinked. For a moment, I wondered if maybe she was psychic or something. But then I remembered that we were on Earth, where magic hadn't existed in hundreds of years. Most likely she was just senile.

_Still… there's something about this place. And what she said hit a little too close to home…_

I shook it off. "How much?" I asked her.

"For you, I'll make a special price. Only sixty-five pounds."

I did some quick mental math, and realized she was charging me about the equivalent of $100. "That's too low," I argued. "Let me pay you more, for something so beautiful."

She held up her hands and shook her head. "No. I will take sixty-five pounds from you and that is all." With that, she walked back behind the desk and picked up her book again.

Slowly, I changed out of the dress, hanging it meticulously back on the hanger for fear of ruining it somehow. Miriam was waiting for me outside the dressing room when I emerged, and I couldn't help taking the opportunity to rub her nose in it a bit. "So much for coming here being a waste of time, huh?" I jabbed.

She rolled her eyes. "Shut up," she said good-naturedly. "So maybe this place is the exception to the rule."

"Uh-huh. You just keep telling yourself that." I lay the dress over the counter, and watched as Marianne wrapped it up carefully in fragrant lavender tissue paper, before placing it in a large paper bag and tying the handless off with gold ribbon.

"Thank you for your purchase," she said, taking the money I gave her (I hoped she didn't notice the little extra I'd slipped in until we were already gone). "You girls had better get going, shouldn't you? It's a long journey home."

I looked outside to see that the sky had darkened rapidly. It had gotten very, very late without either of us noticing. Admittedly, there was the time difference to contend with in getting home, but still, it was far later than we had planned to leave by. Miriam was likely to be in trouble with her parents when she got home – and I would've been too, if my parents were speaking to each other.

_But wait a minute – how would Marianne know that? As far as she's concerned, we're just two rich girls from London who wandered in here sort of by accident…_

As if she could read my mind, Marianne winked at me. Then before I could say anything else, she disappeared behind the curtain that led to the back of the store.

My mind swirling with thoughts, I grabbed the bag off the counter and turned back to Miriam. "Come on. Let's go home."

* * *

**Author's Note: ****I'm surprised at how long it turned out; I'm really on a roll with this story (which means I might actually finish it _ahead_ of schedule). Just a little update: we're more than halfway through the story if you're counting chapters, but as far as plot-wise, we're just approaching the climax. (Yes, in case you hadn't already deduced, a whole lot of crazy shit goes down at Alyssa's party.)**

**And just another friendly little reminder that I am still looking for Winx transformation outfits for all the girls, including Miriam (and Alexa, who I forgot to mention last chapter - and yes, before anyone asks, that does mean she is sticking around for a while). Come on, guys! I'm promising spoilers here! Can't you help a poor, artistically challenged author out? *puppy-dog face* I****f it helps, I've decided that Alexa has powers over air (since we never really get Eraklyon's power source, and air is the like the only element not represented in the Winx world). And being from Isis, Miriam has powers over rocks, crystals, gemstones, etc.**

**Catch you on the flip side!**

**- Authoress**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

"Alyssa, sweetie? Are you ready?" Mom poked her head in the doorway of my room. Her eyes lit up when she saw me. "Oh honey, you look _beautiful_. Remind me again where you got that dress?"

"It was this tiny little vintage shop in London." I picked up a lipstick from my vanity table and slicked it on, admiring the contrast of the dark coral color with my dress.

"Well, you're going to have to take me there some time," she said, stepping further into my room. "Let me take a look at you." She grabbed my wrist and pulled me away from the mirror. Reaching a hand up to my forehead, she tucked a stray lock of hair back behind my ears. The rest was curled and pinned up into an elaborate bun, with tendrils falling out artistically and framing my face. "There. I can't believe you're only sixteen. You look so grown up tonight."

My cheeks flushed. "You look really pretty too, Mom." She wore a full-length champagne-colored satin dress with a low-cut V-neck, thin spaghetti straps, rhinestone and gold bead detail down the center of the ruched bodice, and a long slim skirt.

"Alright for an old lady, I suppose," she laughed, twirling a strand of her own bright red hair around her finger. Unlike mine, her hair was down and curly, falling in waves around her shoulders and back.

"Bloom, you're too self-deprecating for your own good sometimes," Dad laughed, coming into the room with two wineglasses in hand, each filled with a dark red liquid. He handed one of them to Mom, which she accepted gratefully and sipped cautiously, trying not to ruin her lipstick. "You look stunning, my love."

"Thank you," she replied demurely. "You don't look half bad yourself."

"Mmm-hmm." Setting his wineglass down on top of my nightstand, he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and pulled her against him. In her gold heels, she was almost as tall as him. "You smell nice," he commented, nuzzling her neck, and she giggled.

I couldn't help but smile, watching the whole scene as I spritzed myself with perfume. Maybe it wasn't a perfect reconciliation – since I was almost certain that the wine, and the glint in Dad's eyes as he eyed Mom in her skintight dress, had something to do with it – but it was a start. And that was the best birthday present I could've ever asked for.

After a moment, Mom untangled herself and turned back to me, sighing softly. "Doesn't it seem like just yesterday she was learning how to walk? And now she's turning sixteen."

"Hey, you got to skip out on the worst of it," Dad teased gently. "The potty-training…"

"Dad!" I protested, although my heart wasn't truly in it. It was too busy jumping for joy at the fact that my parents had managed to last this long without yelling at each other.

"Baltor, not now," Mom admonished him, her eyes alive with laughter.

A chiming noise sounded from downstairs. Mom picked up her wineglass again and took a sip. "We'd better get downstairs, to greet our guests," she said. "You can take another minute to get ready, Alyssa, but no more – it is _your_ party, after all."

"Be there in a minute." When they were gone, I turned back to the mirror for a final once-over.

Almost without thinking, my fingers reached up to play with the heart locket. Yes, despite my parents' many offers to let me borrow something from the Sparx Royal Treasure Vault, I'd decided to wear Ryan's necklace. It was understated and elegant enough not to look out of place, and it had more sentimental value than any emeralds or diamonds could ever dream of. My heart skipped a beat, thinking about seeing Ryan, and having him see _me_ in my dress.

The sound of the doorbell echoing from downstairs startled me from my thoughts. Quickly, I picked up the skirt of my dress and headed downstairs.

"And there she is, the belle of the birthday ball," Ryan announced, as he saw me descending the stairs. He met me at the bottom and immediately pulled me into a long, passionate kiss. "Happy birthday, Alyssa," he whispered as we broke apart, as I just sucked in mouthfuls of air (very ungracefully, I imagined).

"Hey, stop hogging the birthday girl," Lola declared faux-indignantly, elbowing Ryan out of the way. She was resplendent in the pink dress from Magix, paired with four-inch silver stilettos that were completely covered in rhinestones (of course), her long blond hair iron-straight and half pulled up in a bun. "Happy birthday, Alyssa!" she cried, throwing her skinny arms around my neck. Her sweet perfume hit me like a slap in the face, but this was a scent overload I welcomed, and I hugged her back tightly.

"You look gorgeous, sweetie," Ivy said, wrapping her arms around me next. "_Where_ did you find that dress?"

"Earth, if you can believe that. And hey, you don't look half bad yourself." Ivy blushed, and spun around a little bit, the long, full skirt of her gown twirling out around her. She wore a long slinky sky-blue gown with barely-there spaghetti straps, a sexy rhinestone floral-appliqué bodice with a deep V-neck, and a long satin skirt that nearly touched the floor. It was gorgeous, and much sexier than she usually went for. On her feet were flat silver sandals, and her long dark blond hair was tied in an elegant knot at the nape of her neck, the only ornamentation a pale blue orchid tucked in the center. That part, at least, was very traditional Ivy-style.

Dee and Mel hugged me next, each gushing over my dress, my hair, my shoes. Dee shone in the purple dress she'd picked out that day before break, with a simple crystal pendant necklace accenting her bare porcelain shoulders. And Mel had, like I'd suggested, hemmed the black-and-white dress, so that the tips of her royal blue sling-back pumps peeked out from under the skirt. Her long dark hair was completely free for once, and it fell down her back in a gleaming curtain.

"So how does it feel to be sixteen?" Aqua asked, letting go of my shoulders but still keeping me at arm's length. Her dark skin glowed against the deep olive green of her fitted chiffon empire-waist one-shoulder dress with an intricate silver brooch at the strap, ruched bodice, and long flowy skirt that fell nearly to the ground and swished around her legs when she walked. Long, intricate silver earrings dangled from her ears, matching her low-heeled strappy sandals, and her hair fell in a mass of beachy waves down her mostly bare back.

"Honestly, not that much different from being fifteen," I admitted, tugging on the necklace again (a bad habit I'd developed lately).

"Yet," I heard Miriam say, as she pushed her way through the others to stand in front of me, a small gold bag in her hand. "Happy birthday, Alyssa!" she exclaimed, giving me the obligatory hug. "We have a surprise for you."

"Oh really? What is it?" I stood back and examined her. She was wearing a simple long fitted burgundy chiffon empire-waist gown with super-thin spaghetti straps, a V-neckline, and a flowy skirt that fell in a long drapy column of fabric down to the floor, just floating above the ground. Her long blond hair was done in ringlet curls, threaded through with tiny red rosebuds, and her lips were painted a matching deep burgundy color.

"Open this," she said, shoving the bag in my hand. Confused, I pushed through layers of tissue paper to find a little gold box sitting at the bottom. When I opened it up, I saw a delicate gold chain-link bracelet sitting on a square of white cotton.

"It's beautiful, Miriam," I said, picking it up and examining it from all angles. "But, um, where's the we?"

"Right here." She stepped back and gestured to all of my friends, who had somehow procured little bags of their own from somewhere.

"You'll get your _real_ presents later, but when Miriam said she wanted to do this, we all decided to contribute," Ivy said, handing me her little bag. I opened it to find a tiny gold blooming flower with a little circle at the top – like a charm to be attached to a bracelet. _Hey…_

"It was her idea," Lola added, handing me hers – a little gold high-heeled shoe. I noticed that her smile seemed a little fake, but I waved it off quickly. This was my birthday ball; no time for worrying about probably imagined dynamics of hatred between my friends.

Mel's was next – a music note, of course. From Dee, I got a computer, and a wave from Aqua.

"_You_ guys were in on this?" I asked incredulously, as my mom stepped forward with a little bag of her own.

"Miriam contacted us too. Said you'd been going through a bit of a bad patch, and that she wanted to cheer you up." Theirs was a gold dragon, which I clasped on next to Lola's shoe.

"Don't forget about me," Ryan said, handing me his.

"You too?" His was a heart (of course).

"Me too."

I turned back to Miriam, who was beaming. "Miriam, this is… amazing." I stared at the bracelet, so full of charms already. "How can I ever thank you?"

"No thanks necessary," she insisted, giving me her charm, which was an A covered in tiny diamonds. "It's your birthday, girl. You deserve it."

I clasped on the A between the dragon and the heart, and immediately decided I had to wear the bracelet to the party. "Thank you. Thank you all, for everything."

"That's what friends are for," Miriam said, giving me another hug. "Now let's go enjoy this party. You deserve everything that's coming your way and more."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

I wove my way through the throng of dancing people in tuxes and brightly colored ball gowns, occasionally stopping to say hello to a classmate or friend who wanted to wish me a happy birthday, until I got to the bar. "Two ginger ales, please," I told the man behind the counter.

"Coming right up, miss." He squinted a bit. "Hey, aren't you the birthday girl?"

"Guilty as charged." I slipped out of my gold high heels and sat down on one of the bar stools, my aching feet crying out in relief.

He flashed me a smile. "Well, happy birthday. Has tonight been everything you'd dreamed it would be?"

I turned away, hoping to avoid answering his question. Thankfully, he got the hint, and bent down to the mini-fridge under the bar to get my sodas.

In truth, the party had been fun – mostly. Mom and Dad weren't fighting (score one for the power of alcohol!), Ryan was here (swoon), and my friends seemed to be getting along pretty well so far (thank _God_). Yet I couldn't shake this feeling that something bad was going to happen tonight. The feeling had followed me all night, like gum stuck on the bottom of your shoe – annoying and mood-dampening, but not actually serious (_yet_).

"Here you go," he said, setting down two champagne flutes filled with bubbly golden liquid, each with a maraschino cherry floating on the top. "I added a little something extra, for the birthday girl." I just smiled as he winked, slipping my feet back into my shoes and preparing to go back out into the crowd again. "Hope your night gets better," he called, as I walked away.

Weaving my way through the crush again, I retraced my steps to where I'd last seen Ryan, only to find him gone. Tired and thirsty, I leaned against the wall and downed the remainder of my drink, then, barely resisting the urge to drain Ryan's as well, set off in search of him.

"Hey, girl!" I bumped into Miriam, dancing with a couple other girls I recognized vaguely from classes. Her forehead was shiny and her carefully curled hair was starting to come loose, scattering little silk rosebuds on the floor, but her eyes were full of light and laughter. Clearly, _she_ hadn't been plagued by bad thoughts tonight. She pulled me into a quick hug. "You having fun?"

I hugged her back, breathing in the sweet, flowery scent of her perfume. "Of course," I lied. "Hey, have you seen Ryan?"

"I think I saw him go that way a little while ago." She pointed towards a hallway that led out of the main ballroom to the rest of the palace. "Why? Did you lose him or something?"

"Something like that." I turned in the direction she'd pointed. "I'll catch you later, okay?"

"Kay. Have fun finding lover boy!"

I made my way down the hallway, poking my head in every door, open or not (hey, it's my house!). Every time, I came up with nothing. Sighing, I finally turned around and decided to go back to the ballroom, figuring he'd probably gone looking for me, found nothing, and went back to the rest of the party.

As I walked back down the hallway, I heard what sounded like muffled screams coming from one of the rooms I had passed earlier – a room that had been empty. Intrigued, I cracked open the door just enough to see through, wondering what was going on and if it had anything to do with my premonition.

…And promptly dropped the glass in my hand.

The champagne flute shattered, spilling ginger ale all over the carpet (but thankfully, none of it made it onto the hem of my dress), the maraschino cherry rolling down the hall, likely to end up on the end of someone's stiletto heel. But I didn't even spare that a second thought. My eyes were glued to the view from the door. It was like watching a train wreck – you know it's horrible, but you can't bring yourself to look away.

"Baltor, don't!" Mom screamed. My eyes widened as I watched my dad's fist connect with the King of Eraklyon's face, leaving behind what was sure to be a nasty bruise.

Sky stumbled backwards, but recovered quickly. "What the hell was that for?" he exclaimed.

"Oh, you know very well what that was for, _pretty boy_," Dad sneered, his golden eyes burning with anger in a way that was extremely intimidating. Apparently Sky thought so too, because although he tried to act tough, I could see his knees shaking slightly.

"Both of you, stop fighting!" Mom screeched, vainly trying to diffuse what was shaping up to be an intense fight.

My blood ran cold at the look Dad shot her – one of pure loathing. "Why should I listen to you, you worthless slut?"

Mom paled. I could feel her heart breaking from all the way across the room. My fingernails dug into my palms, and I wanted to strangle Sky (since considering the intensity of my dad's anger, he was undoubtedly the instigator in all of this chaos). Heart pounding in my ears, I slowly stepped back from the door, careful not to make any noise that would alert them to the fact that someone had been eavesdropping.

_Ryan_. I had to find Ryan. He would be able to make sense of all of this.

Barely looking where I was going, I picked up my skirt and ran back into the ballroom, searching the crowd frantically for Ryan. Finally, I saw a familiar mop of messy blond hair standing in a corner. Relief flooded through my veins, and I raced towards him. Even if he couldn't make everything better, just being in his arms was sure to calm me down enough to think rationally.

"Ryan!" I exclaimed. "Thank God I found you. You would not _believe_ what I just saw…"

My voice died in my throat as I realized that he was not alone. There was a girl with him, a girl with long dark hair. _Mel_? I wondered, remembering my music-obsessed friend's hairstyle from earlier in the night. Then I saw something that made my heart stop for the second time that night.

_ That girl was kissing my Ryan!_

"R-Ryan!" My voice was a sputtering shriek, still halfway caught in my throat. Finally, she let go of her octopus grip on his lips, allowing me to see familiar blue eyes smug with triumph.

_Alexa_…

"How did _you_ get in here?" I spat, instinctively looking her over. Her dress was long, sleek, and bright red – a strapless floor-length number that clung to her perfect figure like Saran Wrap, with a long slit up one side all the way to the middle of her thigh. I swallowed hard. "I don't remember inviting _trash_ to my party." I'd _never_ been so aggressive with another girl – not even Lola during the worst of our fight – but seeing my parents fighting, and now _this_, had wound me up almost to the max.

Alexa smirked, her acrylic French-manicured nails curling around Ryan's bicep. "So sorry to rain on your party, Alyssa," she cooed, pressing herself against Ryan. "But really, it's not my fault if your boyfriend would prefer someone with more… _experience_."

"Alyssa, this isn't what it looks like–"

"Shut up," I growled at Ryan. There were still a few flecks of glitter on his lips from Alexa's lip gloss, and the sight of it made me feel sick. "How could you do this to me? I thought you said I was the girl you wanted to be with forever!"

"You _are_," he insisted, pushing Alexa off of him. She pouted, but her smoky-lined eyes never left my face. "'Liss, please. I promise you; I didn't kiss her. You have to believe me." He reached for my hand.

"Don't touch me!" I spat, yanking my hand away. "You both make me sick." Hot tears stung the corners of my eyes, but I was determined not to give either of them the satisfaction of seeing me cry.

His necklace around my neck suddenly felt searing hot, like it was burning my skin. Without thinking twice about it, I reached up and yanked at the chain as hard as I could, not caring if I was breaking the clasp. "You want this so badly, Alexa? Well here. Take it." I whipped the necklace at her feet, not caring whether my aim was accurate or not.

"Alyssa…" Ryan called, but I had already turned around and was making my way quickly through the crowd, the tears starting to trickle down my cheeks. My only thought was on getting away from the party and finding a quiet spot to cry my eyes out.

"Alyssa? Hey, 'Liss, what's wrong?" Miriam's voice made me stop, and I turned around to face her. She gasped softly upon seeing my tear-streaked face. "Oh sweetie, what happened?"

Grabbing her hand, I tugged her into an alcove set off from the ballroom, needing privacy. Even then, I could barely stop crying long enough to form a coherent sentence. "Ryan… Alexa… kiss… my parents… Sky… everything's ruined!"

Thankfully, Miriam (somehow) seemed to understand. "Well, this is most unfortunate," she declared, pulling out a tissue from out of nowhere and starting to wipe off the tear-streaked makeup from my face. "Okay. I know how to make things better. Where's the kitchen in this place?" Confused, I pointed down the hall to a pair of swinging white double doors. "You're coming with me," she said, taking my hand and leading me down the hallway to the kitchen doors.

She breezed right through them casually, like it was no big deal to walk into the palace kitchen during a party. A couple of the white-garbed men in chef's hats looked up from their work as we passed by (I can only imagine we looked very out of place in our fancy ball gowns), but nobody dared to say we weren't allowed in here.

I followed Miriam until she reached a corner in the back with a couple folding chairs and a long metal counter, probably used for piling dirty dishes. "Sit here," she ordered, pushing me down into one of the chairs.

"Um, Miriam, not that I don't trust you, but what are we doing here?" I ventured, still not completely in full use of all my facilities but aware enough to know that whatever we were doing was probably not exactly officially sanctioned.

"Drink this," she said, snagging a champagne flute off a passing waiter's tray and handing it to me, sidestepping my question completely. I sniffed it carefully, trying not to recoil at the sharp scent of alcohol.

"You do know what's in here, right?" I asked, watching as she searched through what looked like the world's largest refrigerator/freezer combo.

"Don't be a baby, Alyssa. It's just one glass. And after the night you've had, I doubt anyone would deny you a little self-medicating." I shrugged and sipped cautiously, the first sip burning down my throat in a way that I couldn't imagine anyone actually _liking_. But the second and third sips went down smoother, and by the fourth, little champagne bubbles were starting to tingle on my tongue in a way that was far from unpleasant. Before I knew it, I'd drained the entire glass and was licking my lips, searching out any remnants.

"Got any more?"

Miriam laughed. "Easy does it, 'Liss. I doubt your parents would appreciate if I sent you back drunk." I pouted, and snagged another glass from a waiter when her back was turned. By the time she came back, holding a large gallon container of something and two spoons, the contents of the second glass were making their way down my throat, and a warm, happy feeling was starting to set in. It was like my blood had turned into champagne bubbles, fizzing and popping in my veins and sending waves of happiness through every part of my body. With this strange new feeling of effervescence lofting me high up into the clouds, it was impossible to imagine being upset about _anything_.

If Miriam had set out to make me forget about everything I'd just seen, she was definitely on the right track.

"Hope you like cookie dough; that's all there was, besides plain old vanilla." Miriam sat down next to me and handed me a spoon, the top of the container opening to reveal a gallon of my favorite ice cream.

"I love it; that's why there's such a giant thing of it in the freezer." Eagerly, I dug my spoon in, scooping up a big mouthful of vanilla ice cream and chocolate-chip cookie dough bits. A few flecks of melting white goo splattered onto the skirt of my gown, and I dabbed at them with a napkin halfheartedly, not really caring anymore. (The night was already mostly ruined, so who cared about my dress?)

With both sugar and alcohol coursing through my bloodstream, it was a lot easier to separate the pain in my heart – to put it behind a glass wall, to be dealt with later – and try to salvage whatever was left of this night. So by the time Miriam took my spoon and moved to put away the now-half-empty carton – "Somehow, I don't think the palace chefs will be very happy with us if we eat this entire thing, and what about our dresses?" she'd pointed out when I pouted – I was feeling as ready as I'd ever be to go back out there and face the music.

"You feeling better now, sweetie?" Miriam asked, as we headed for the kitchen doors.

"Much," I lied, the relieved smile on her face worth the guilt I felt at lying to her. What I would do without Miriam, I might never know. "Thank you so much, for everything. Really, I mean it. You saved me tonight."

"That's what best friends are for." A flash of what looked like guilt flickered across her face, but it was gone before I could be certain it had ever existed in the first place.

We continued down the hallway, pausing at the double doors that led back to the ballroom. "Are you going to be alright?" Miriam asked again, the concern evident in both her voice and her eyes.

"I'm fine," I insisted, maybe a little too harshly, pushing open the doors. The combined sounds of music from the orchestra, high heels clicking on the marble floor, and laughing and chatter from the people dancing was almost overwhelming after the relative silence of the kitchen.

Behind me, Miriam's face fell a bit, but she didn't say anything more, and simply disappeared into the crowd again. I watched her go until she vanished from sight, then took a deep breath and tried to figure out what to do next.

As it turned out, the choice was relatively simple, and not even one I really had to make myself. I'd only been standing at the front of the room for maybe thirty seconds when a hurricane descended on me from out of nowhere – a hurricane in a pink, rhinestone-studded dress.

"There you are, Alyssa! We've been looking all over for you!" Lola exclaimed, throwing her arms around me tightly. "_Where_ have you been, missy? You have no idea what's been happening. This party is insane! And I don't mean it in a good way!" _You're telling me,_ I thought, but let her continue – I knew there was no stopping Lola when she got rolling on one of her rants. "Did you see that Ryan's dad is walking around with a black eye? _Who_ would start a fistfight on such an important occasion? I hope it wasn't anyone you know really well, because that is seriously tacky. And in the name of all that is holy, how the hell did Alexa get in here? You didn't invite her, did you?" She peered at me closely, for once noticing my makeup-less face, unraveling hairdo, and the wet spots on my gown from where I'd tried to dab off the worst of the melted ice cream. "And… why do you smell like champagne and cookie dough ice cream?"

"Lola, let her breathe," Mel chastised, pulling Lola away from me. "But seriously, 'Liss, where were you? You missed a whole ton of crap."

"Sadly, I didn't; in fact, I had a front-row seat. And it's safe to say I know even more than you all do." I sighed and leaned against the wall, the happy dizziness from the champagne finally starting to take its toll on me.

"And? Details, please!" Aqua demanded.

"Aqua! It's clear Alyssa isn't very happy right now," Ivy snapped. "Don't push her even more."

"But without all the facts, how can we hope to help her recover from this?" Dee quipped, in her usual thinking-out-loud sort of way.

"My dad gave Sky the black eye," I said, effectively shutting them up, as they all turned to face me. "My parents had an enormous fight, over something to do with Sky, and Dad called Mom a really bad name. And Ryan was kissing Alexa." I was surprised at how emotionless my voice sounded, that I was able to seem detached from everything when my heart hurt like it had collapsed inside my chest, radiating pain through every nerve in my body. The thought honestly scared me, and I reached for more champagne off a passing waiter's tray, desperate to keep the happy, bubbly feeling alive.

"'Liss, are you sure that's the best thing for you right now?" Mel ventured cautiously, watching me drain half the glass in a single gulp. "Not to sound unsympathetic or anything – it sounds like you've had a real crap night, _especially_ since it's your birthday – but you do know that alcohol isn't the answer, right?"

"It helps." I swallowed the rest and discarded the empty glass onto a nearby table, where someone would find it and clean it up eventually.

"Sweetie, are you okay?" Ivy wrapped her skinny arms around my neck and pulled me against her, and I inhaled the mingled scent of strawberry-kiwi body oil and the fresh, clean smell of her herbal shampoo. "Why didn't you find us sooner?"

"Yeah, you shouldn't have had to deal with all of this alone," Aqua added. Under her breath, I heard her continue, "or with a bottle of Cristal."

"Oh, I wasn't alone," I said, already feeling the effects of my latest glass of champagne. "Miriam was with me. She introduced me to the wonders of champagne, and we had ice cream in the kitchen."

Over Ivy's shoulder, I saw Lola's eyes grow cold. "_Miriam_? You went to _Miriam_ of all people before _me_?"

I rolled my eyes. "Oh get _over_ yourself already, Lola. Why the hell does it matter who I go to first with my problems? You're all my friends! Miriam was there when I needed her to be – when you all were nowhere to be found."

"As much as I hate to admit it, Lola sort of has a point," Mel said. "I know you hate hearing this, but there is something weird about Miriam. And until we figure out exactly what is going on in that girl's head, I know _I_ wouldn't be so quick to spill all my deepest, darkest secrets to her."

"And besides, who's known you longer?" Aqua questioned, her eyes flashing with anger. "Us, or that Taylor clone?"

"What is _with_ you guys?" I stared at the five of them like they were strangers – which in a way, they were. "What did Miriam ever do to make you hate her so much? And there is no cold, hard proof that she's up to anything nefarious, so don't give me that bull anymore. This just sounds like plain and simple jealousy, and you know what? I'm sick of putting up with it. You're supposed to be my best friends, and yet it seems all you care about these days is Miriam. Even on my _birthday_, when my parents are on the verge of divorce and my boyfriend was kissing another girl, you want to stand here and argue about me going to Miriam before you?"

"Alyssa, we–"

"_Don't_, Lola," I cut in coldly, my anger reaching its boiling point. "I know what you're going to say and you can shove it up your ass. This whole 'we just care about you' excuse is wearing incredibly thin. If you _really_ cared about me, you'd be trying to make me feel better now, like Miriam did, instead of picking fights with me about her all the time. I've had it up to here with you guys trying to insist you know better than I do how to run my life!"

The second I said the words, I wanted to take them back – but at the same time, I didn't. This was an issue that had been bubbling under the surface for most of the semester, and it felt good to just let it all out. But at the same time, that little voice in the back of my head was warning me to slow down; that if I wasn't careful, I could end up doing permanent damage to our friendship.

Mel's eyes flickered briefly, before she crossed her arms over her chest defensively, her jaw set in stone. "I had no idea you felt that way, Alyssa," she said slowly, her voice tinged with that eerily calm sort of anger that's the worst kind.

"If that's how you feel, then maybe we should leave," Aqua added, that icy, silent anger creeping into her voice as well.

Sirens were blaring in my head, warning me that this had BAD IDEA written all over it, but I ignored them all. "Maybe you should."

Lola's eyes narrowed, but then her entire expression changed, as if she'd simply given up wasting her energy on all of this. "Come on, girls. It's rude to stay at a party where we're not wanted." Picking up the skirt of her gown, she stomped (for lack of a better term – although really, 'stomp' is very fitting) down the hall, her stilettos clicking like gunshots on the marble floor.

Slowly, the others started to follow her. Mel and Aqua both shot me icy glares as they turned and followed Lola. Dee, ever the logical one, seemed quite confused at this battle of emotions, but eventually just shrugged at me sadly and walked away as well. Only Ivy lingered for a moment, looking as if she might stay, or try to say something, but a sharp call of "Ivy!" from down the hall sent her running towards the others, her cheeks flushing bright red.

I stood there for a moment, watching them all go, as the reality of what had just happened slowly started to sink in. It hit me like a tidal wave, crashing over me, choking, drowning…

Lacking the strength to move, I sank to the ground, tucking my head into my knees, and cried.

And cried.

And cried.

Until everything else left had lost all meaning as well.

* * *

**Author's Note: ****...Please don't kill me!**

**Yes, it was necessary to drop a triple-dramabomb like this, for reasons that will become clearer later. And let me just say this one time and one time only: I refuse to answer questions on what's going to happen to resolve these open ends left by the dramabombs. You will find out all in due time.**

**Adieu, my darlings,**

**- Authoress**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

It was the pain that first shook me awake – like someone was drilling into my skull without the benefit of anesthesia. "Good Lord," I muttered under my breath, stretching my arms over my head and yawning loudly, as I tried to figure out why it felt like fireworks were exploding inside my brain.

Then it all came rushing back to me, like being doused in cold water. I slumped back into bed, defeated.

_My parents fighting… Ryan kissing Alexa… the girls deserting me…_

_ How did all of this happen?_

One thing was for sure – if the splitting pain in my head was anything to go off of, I was _never_ drinking that much champagne again. I nestled back into the pillows, wincing as the pain intensified with movement, but finally I got back into a comfortable position. Closing my eyes, I let the darkness descend gratefully, wondering if maybe I could fall asleep again and wake up to realize that everything had just been one enormous nightmare brought on by stress and nerves.

Loud thumps and what sounded like Mom's voice up an octave floated up from downstairs through my partially open door, and I opened my eyes again, intrigued. Despite the fresh bolts of pain as I pulled myself into a sitting position for the second time that morning, I craned my neck and tilted my head, trying to hear better. This new position didn't improve my eavesdropping capabilities any more, so, my curiosity now thoroughly peaked, I threw off the covers and slowly got to my feet.

The relatively short walk downstairs was made unnecessarily long by my unnaturally stiff and tired limbs, but eventually I made it down, following the increasing-in-volume sounds to the kitchen. Flinching at the bright lights, I paused at the threshold, allowing my suddenly sensitive eyes to adjust, before continuing towards the source.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Mom pleaded, chasing desperately after Dad as he moved swiftly and silently around the room, his hands full of books. Her voice was so full of pain it felt like it was bleeding. "Please, it was innocent! I don't even know how it happened, but it meant nothing! You have to believe me! I love _you_!"

"You didn't push him away." Dad stopped moving in the middle of the floor, standing perfectly straight, more books in his arms. It was his eyes that stopped me, though – they were cold as ice.

Mom faltered, her expression a strange mix of excitement (that he was saying something at all) and confusion (at what he was saying). "What? No–"

"I was there, remember? I saw you. You didn't push him away; not until you heard me, that is. Which means that all of this crap you're spewing is just more lies. You know, it really does a disservice to _your_ intelligence to try to lie to me, Bloom." With that, he was off and running again, gathering more books (good Lord, how many books did he have stashed away in this place, and how had I never known they were all there?), his face a mask of steely silence.

"I was in shock!" she protested, continuing to chase him. "We were just talking – about that ugly little mess last year with Alyssa and Taylor, actually – and then out of nowhere, he's kissing me! Forgive me for being a little surprised!" When that elicited no reaction, she tried a different tactic. "What about poor Alyssa? You're really going to leave her, right after her birthday?"

"Alyssa can survive without me."

"But I can't!" she exclaimed, almost throwing herself at him. He just sidestepped her and shook her off.

"I hope you two are happy together," he said, his tone colored with what sounded almost like regret.

"Wait! No! Please, don't go!" There was a blinding flash of light, and I had to turn away; my eyes were still too sensitive. When I opened them again, Dad was gone and Mom was curled up in a heap on the floor, her face buried in her hands, shoulders shaking in the unmistakable motions of a sob-your-eyes-out crying jag.

For the first time, I noticed she was still wearing her gold dress from last night. But there was a stain of something dark red (probably wine) on the side of the bodice, some of the beading had come loose, and a long, jagged tear sliced up the skirt. It looked very much worse for wear – as, I realized a moment later, did she.

"Mom?" I ventured, making my way to where she was curled up on the floor. Kneeling down so I was at eye level with her, I placed my hand on her back carefully, listening to her cry. "What's wrong?"

When she looked up, the woman I knew and loved had disappeared, replaced by someone who was almost unrecognizable. Her formerly gorgeous curly hair was tangled and ratty, makeup was smeared across her face, there were dark circles under her eyes, and her skin looked pale and sickly (the way I was sure my own did – the after-effects of too much alcohol). But it was her eyes that scared me the most. They were so sad and miserable, brimming with unshed tears, like she'd just lost her entire world.

"Alyssa?" She reached up and wiped away some of the tears streaked across her cheeks, as if something was telling her that it was very bad form to look like a soggy, tear-stricken mess in front of your daughter. (Yeah, pretty hard to do that when you're wearing last night's dress, curled up in a ball on the floor, looking like you got maybe an hour of sleep.) "Is everything okay, sweetie?"

I arched my eyebrows at her. "Shouldn't I be asking _you_ that question? What just happened?"

Mom sighed, her entire body shaking with the weight of it, like she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders. "Your father has… decided to take some time off to travel…" She couldn't even finish her sentence (a total lie, of course) without breaking into another round of tears.

"There, there, Mom, don't cry. Everything's going to be okay." I zapped in some tissues, which she took gratefully, and let her cry onto my shoulder, wondering how our roles had become so reversed.

Yes, I was furious-slash-heartbroken over finding Ryan and Alexa, and from the girls all deserting me like that, but neither of them made me want to cry buckets like Mom was. And something told me that the universe couldn't handle both of us crying at once, so I held back and let her be the emotional one for the time being.

"I just don't understand why he won't even _consider_ the possibility that I'm telling the truth! I gave up _so_ much for him when I was barely older than you, Alyssa, and it's like he doesn't remember any of that! We had a lot of problems when we were younger, but being able to trust each other was never one of them. And I just don't understand it. I know he's always hated Sky, but I never _dreamed_ that it could get this bad. Oh, I don't know what to do to fix this! If I could do things over, I'd sever all ties to Sky in a heartbeat. I'd never go to see him again, never invite him to your party, never agree to take a private walk…" This continued for God only knows how long, the brief moment of normalcy vanishing as quickly as it had appeared, as she rapidly deteriorated further into a weepy, rambling, incoherent mess. Eventually, the talking stopped completely, and she wrapped herself into a ball, silent tears trickling down her cheeks, until the sound of her breathing changed to the deep, relaxed paces of a sleeper.

Figuring she'd be much more comfortable in her bed than on the kitchen floor, I used as little magic as possible to bring her upstairs, not wanting to disturb her while she was getting rest that it looked like she desperately needed. Laying her down on the sheets, I tucked the blankets up around her prone form, giving her a brief kiss on the forehead. "Feel better, Mom," I whispered, hoping she would be able to deal with things more rationally when she woke up.

As if reminding me that I had my own problems to deal with, my splitting headache reared its ugly head again, and I winced. Looks like a nap was in order for _both_ of us this morning.

* * *

I loitered in the front hallway of the palace, still unsure if I was making the right choice by leaving now. The original plan had been for me to spend my birthday weekend at home with my family, and Faragonda had cleared it so I could, but staying here now was just too damn depressing, with Dad gone and Mom passed out upstairs.

I'd tried to make the most of it, at first. After going back to sleep for several hours myself, I'd woken up with my head feeling slightly better, and taken the longest, hottest shower in the world. After shoving my dress from the party to the back of my closet (I would've thrown it out completely, but there was still a part of me that remembered that magical feeling when I'd found it in London, that wasn't tainted by all the crap that had happened last night), I'd gotten dressed, like everything was normal, and went to check on Mom, who was still asleep.

She'd stayed that way while I went back down to the kitchen and sucked down lots of water, coffee, and a couple aspirin. That plus the bagel and cream cheese now in my stomach had served to make me feel a little more human (although I was still _never_ going near alcohol again). Then I'd finally realized that I was (more or less) alone.

When you go to a school like Alfea, you're never _really_ alone, and even growing up I always had Dad. With Mom practically comatose, this was the first time I'd ever really been alone, and I quickly discovered I didn't like it. Hence my decision to leave.

But now that I was all packed up, I was starting to have second thoughts. Even if I did go back to Alfea, there was no guarantee I'd stop feeling so alone. The girls all hated me after last night, after all – except for Miriam, but she wasn't always around. And could I really leave poor Mom to wake up completely alone, after all that she'd been through?

"Don't worry about your mother, Princess Alyssa," my favorite of our maids, Elizabeth, said from behind me, as if she could read my thoughts. "I will make sure Her Highness is comfortable when she wakes up. If you believe you will be happier back at school, go. Worry about yourself for a change."

"Thank you, Elizabeth."

"Before you go, what should I do with these? They arrived while you were in the shower." I turned around to see her holding two bouquets of flowers. One was a cookie-cutter bunch of deep red long-stemmed roses, but the other was more personal – pale blue lilies and white roses interspersed with little star-shaped deep blue Stephanotis blossoms (which I only recognized after nearly two years of living with Ivy) and a spray of green leaves. Ignoring the red roses, I picked up the blue and white bouquet and inhaled deeply.

"Did they have a card?" I asked, plucking one of the white roses and reaching to place it behind my ear.

"Two." Elizabeth hesitated, then held them out to me. "The larger one came with the red roses, and the smaller with the blue and white bouquet."

The sweet floral perfume suddenly felt cloying and nauseating, as I saw who they had come from.

_Dear Bloom,_ the bigger card read, _I'm more sorry than you can imagine for what happened last night, but I don't regret a single bit of it. Please accept these roses as a token of my undying love for you, a flame that has never been extinguished. If you'll have me, I will spend the rest of my life doing penance for last night. But please, do not make me pay the highest price of all – continuing to live without you by my side. –Yours forever, King Sky of Eraklyon_

"Pathetic," I snorted. Elizabeth tried to swallow her gasp of surprise. "And I suppose the other one's from Sky too? What does this card say, pray tell?"

It wasn't from Sky.

_Dear Alyssa, _I read, _I know you must hate me right now, but I promise you, last night was an enormous misunderstanding. Call me when you get back to Alfea; I need to talk to you, to make things right. –Love, Ryan_

I swallowed back the lump in my throat that came from reading Ryan's card and proceeded to calmly rip it into tiny little pieces that scattered like confetti onto the hardwood floors. I then did the same thing with Sky's card, until all the honeyed words and sweetly written apologies were nothing more than tiny scraps of paper.

I knew that Elizabeth was far from happy with me for doing what I did, but she was able to mostly conceal it. "What shall I do with the flowers, Princess?" she asked, her tone perfectly even.

"Dispose of them. And _don't_ tell my mother." I pulled out the rose from in my hair and let it drop to the floor, making sure to step on it on my way out.

* * *

It was beautiful and sunny in Magix, exactly opposite of my mood. I glared up at the cloudless sky and warm sunshine somewhat angrily, almost wishing for dark storm clouds – at least then I'd have an excuse to be so grumpy.

Alfea was almost as quiet and deserted as the palace had been; everyone must have been out enjoying the beautiful day. I only saw a few people in the halls as I made my way back to my room, and they all started whispering behind my back as I passed. Apparently, news of last night's events had made its way through the Alfea grapevine. I just sighed and tried to ignore it.

Suite 12 was blessedly empty when I threw open the double doors that led to the common room. I didn't even want to think about what might happen if I ran into one of the other girls right now. My head was still clogged with the scent of roses and little white cards with lies written on them, and all I wanted to do was curl up in my bed and go back to sleep for another couple hours.

Someone was in one of the rooms – I could hear a faint sound, like a person humming. The noise increased in volume as I walked towards my room, making me think it was probably Miriam. Well, if it had to be anyone, she was the best – at least she didn't hate me.

I stepped past the threshold of our shared room, my lungs filling with a familiar sweet, flowery scent. There was a blond girl with her back turned to me standing by the window seat – the cause of the singing I'd heard earlier. It stopped abruptly as I entered the room. "Miriam? That you? Oh my God, you would not _believe_ the morning I've had." I dropped my bag to the ground with a heavy sigh.

The girl at the window turned around, and the world seemed to go into slow-motion as my gaze met a pair of blue eyes.

"Hey there, roomie," Taylor smirked, the gold compact mirror she held in her hand snapping shut. "Miss me?"


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

"I have to say, you've _really_ let this place go since I left," she continued, walking around the room like it was perfectly normal for her to be here, back at Alfea, where she was supposedly forbidden from ever setting foot again (after, you know, trying to kill me last year).

There were a thousand different things I wanted to say (most of them not very nice), but it was as if my tongue was stuck in my mouth. My whole body felt sluggish and slow, like I was moving through Jell-O. "Wh-what are you doing here?" I managed to get out finally.

She paused by Miriam's dresser, her fingers trailing across the top. "Isn't it obvious, _princess_?" Venom dripped from her every word. "I came to see you."

"H-how did you get in here?" I asked, trying to buy myself some more time for anyone – _anyone_ – to find me and get help.

"Oh, I had a little help from the inside," she cooed, her fingers curling around the glass top of Miriam's perfume bottle. I tried to inch slowly towards the door, but my limbs had turned to lead, my feet frozen in place. Taylor smirked. "Don't even bother trying to leave," she added threateningly, waving her hand towards the door. It slammed shut with a rattle that made me jump. "I've waited a _long_ time for this." Her grip on the perfume bottle tightened, so that I was worried she would break the glass (not that I would've minded if Taylor got a bleeding palm full of broken glass…).

My eyes scanned up and down her body. She wore tight low-slung jeans and a white one-shoulder crop top, super-high silver platform sandals elevating her already tall, slender frame to supermodel-esque heights. Her blond curls were long and glossy, falling around a lightly tanned face that was absolutely devoid of makeup, save for a slick of bright red lip gloss that matched the ruby pendant hanging on a long silver chain just above her exposed belly button. "You look good," I ventured, trying to appeal to her vanity.

Her eyes narrowed. "Don't bother sucking up, it won't do you any good. But yes; apparently, rehab and house arrest agree with me." She let go of the perfume, her hands balling into fists by her side.

"So that's where you've been." How I found the nerve to make a sarcastic comment, I will never know.

"Oh, act all innocent, like it's not your fault I've been shut away like a caged animal this past year." Her voice was so full of ice and anger that I was surprised the room hadn't frosted over yet. "You want to know what I thought about while I was being forced to 'describe my inner feelings' or paint my nails for the five hundredth time to stave off boredom?" There was a wicked glint in her eyes that sent chills down my spine. "_Revenge_."

Almost out of force of habit, I glanced backwards towards the door. "No one's coming," Taylor continued, her tone sing-song, taunting me. "But you know that, don't you? Oh yes, poor, poor Alyssa. I only _wish_ that I could've been responsible for what happened last night. So deliciously satisfying, for you to get a taste of your own medicine."

"H-how do you know about that?" I stammered, officially scared.

"Didn't I tell you? I've got eyes _everywhere_. It's such a shame about your parents, although really, can you blame your mom for wanting to be with someone who's not a certified psychopath? And I thought my brother had a _little_ more class than that, but apparently not." She clucked her tongue. "Don't feel _too_ bad. He and Alexa are soul mates. You were nothing more than a novelty, a passing fling. It was undeniable." I grit my teeth, every word setting my blood on fire.

Taylor started walking towards me, light steps that made her curls bounce. "Your parents, your boyfriend, your friends… you've lost everything. And so the house of cards collapses."

"_What_ are you doing here?" I repeated, backing up as my feet finally regained the ability to move again. Taylor continued moving forward, until eventually I was trapped up against the closed doors, the overwhelming scent of her perfume invading my senses. A memory of being in almost this exact situation last year (pinned against the wall, completely at Taylor's mercy) flashed through my mind. It wasn't exactly comforting.

"You know, I never understood the appeal," she remarked almost absently, as if I hadn't said a thing. "There's something about you that everyone seems to find so amazing, but personally, I never got it. You're nothing more than a naïve, sheltered little girl with dangerous powers who doesn't belong in the real world."

"Aren't you the dangerous one, T?" I sniped, again wondering how I'd found the courage to say something so biting.

Too late, I realized that was _definitely_ the wrong thing to say. Her eyes narrowed devilishly at me, as she opened her fists, stretching out her fingers to reveal long red manicured nails that looked like bloody talons. I gulped.

But nothing happened – at least, not right away. "You know, I almost feel bad for you right now," she said, in a voice that was shockingly (fake) sweet, compared to what I'd been expecting. "Everyone who used to care about you has deserted you. That's _got_ to sting."

"That's not true," I protested, in a voice I barely recognized as my own. "I still have Miriam."

Taylor scoffed. "Miriam? You think _she's_ your friend? Oh dear heart, you are even more deluded than I'd thought."

My heart skipped a beat, although I tried to remain calm, refusing to give Taylor a weak spot to exploit. "What do you mean?"

"Your precious Miriam, the one friend you thought you had left, is my _cousin_. She's been working for _me_ this whole year – slipping me info, driving a wedge between you and the others, giving me the code to Alfea's protection bubble…"

Blood raced through my veins, my heart pounding in my ears. "No…"

"Sorry to burst your bubble, '_Liss_, but she's not your friend." Taylor reached out and ran a finger across my cheek, her long fake nails cold as ice. I fought the urge to shudder. "No one is."

At that last statement, something inside me finally snapped. All the anger that had been boiling under the surface since the beginning of the semester finally spilled over, until all I could see was Taylor, taunting me. Practically _begging_ for a fight.

A tingly feeling spread throughout every cell in my body, and I looked down to see that my jeans and the black concert T-shirt Mel had given me from her mom's tour (I was lazy this morning, but hey, can you really blame me?) had been replaced by a short cerulean blue empire-waist sleeveless dress with a sea-green sweetheart-necked bodice (but blue straps), two silver belts crisscrossing across my hips, and a deep purple ruffle extending from below the green to past the belts. My beat-up red Converse were now deep purple mid-calf-length high-heeled boots, and black lace-print fingerless gloves extended up my elbows. There was a silver choker around my neck that matched the belts at my waist and at the ankles of my boots, and my hair was iron-straight and side-parted, falling sleekly down my back (even though I was _sure_ I had not put that much time into it that morning). I couldn't see them, but I knew my wings were there – almost dragonfly-ish, pale purple with sky blue trim, darker purple insets, and little green jewels at the bottom tips.

This wasn't the first time I had transformed, but it _was_ the first time I'd done it without thinking, and not in a classroom-type situation. Magic surged through my veins, making me feel capable of anything in the world.

Taylor glared at me. "If it's a fight you want, well, who am I to deny perfect Princess Alyssa _anything_ she wants?" Her tone dripped with mocking.

I balled my hands into fists, which lit up with glowing fire energy before I knew what I was doing. "Bring it, bitch."

"Oh, you are _so_ going to regret that." Swirling red energy surrounded her, and she emerged from the cloud fluttering on her vaguely peacock-style wings, dark red with bright red "feather" tips. They matched the rest of her outfit perfectly – knee-high dark red high-heeled boots, a tight bright red miniskirt with a long asymmetrical hem, and a cream white strapless top with a slashed V-neckline that had a bright red gem at the lowest point. Similar red gems were in bracelets around her skinny wrists, connected to white cut-out gloves, and on the pale burgundy headband that had a dark red feather plume coming out the top.

"What do you say we take this outside?" she snarled, raising her arms. Something like a tornado grew from her palms, sucking us both in and depositing us high above Alfea. As I was still catching my breath from the abrupt transition, she created six bright red jewels (I was noticing a theme here…) that surrounded her body, shooting out bursts of pink energy. Moving quickly, I dodged most of them, but one hit me in the chest. It stung, and I doubled over, my chest constricting in pain. "Doesn't feel so good, now, does it, _princess_?" she spat, her eyes alive with an almost inhuman quality.

"You're crazy!" I shouted at her, the wind making it hard to hear. "What did I ever do to you anyways?" Squeezing my eyes shut to block out what lingered of the pain, I produced a glowing fireball from my fingertips, forming it into the shape of an arrow, which shot towards Taylor. She tried to dodge, but it eventually got her in the wings, and she recoiled in shock.

"You ruined my life!" she yelled, raising her arms over her head. Pink energy glowed from her fingertips, forming itself into a ring that looked (oddly enough) a bit like a halo, floating over her head. It zoomed towards me, squeezing itself around my forearms and chest. Taylor laughed viciously as I struggled to break free.

Below us, I could see people starting to gather, pointing and shouting to their friends. The thought filled me with hope; someone would call for Miss Faragonda, and she would be able to restrain Taylor. I just had to hold out a little bit longer. With renewed strength, I was able to break the ring, a faint orange glow of energy surrounding me.

"I did nothing!" The orange glow grew stronger as I summoned more of my power within. "You're insane, Taylor – really, truly, got a few screws loose. You did this to yourself." Like holding dynamite in my fingertips, I unleashed it, hoping that was enough to subdue her until Miss F could get in here.

"Lies!" she shrieked. Her entire body glowed bright red, absorbing my firepower into it like it was nothing. My breath caught in my throat; that was one of my strongest attacks. "You did this to me. You ruined my life. And for that, you must pay!"

The glowing red energy increased in strength, just like mine had. I watched in horror as she channeled it all into her fingertips, all that red-hot power squeezed into a tight little ball. With an inhuman shriek, she sent it rocketing towards me.

The force of the impact was enough to knock me backwards, sending me careening towards the astronomy tower. I felt a bone-crunching _snap_ as I rammed into the side, crumpling like a rag doll onto the observation deck. Then I just lay there, immobile, my leg lying at a funny angle, as I tried to get my lungs to work properly again.

Hovering above me, Taylor was gloating at her victory; I didn't have to be able to see her to know that. I closed my eyes, and for a moment, I considered just giving up.

_No._

Power surged through me from head to toe, infusing every cell in my body with strength – like the initial burst of energy that came from transforming, but with something of a darker edge. I felt stronger, yes, but also meaner.

I wanted to see Taylor suffer.

With a vengeful growl, I shot up into the air, unhampered by my broken-feeling leg and the pain in my chest. Taylor's eyes widened, and she gave a little gasp of surprise; obviously, she thought she had killed me, or at least seriously injured me.

_Think again, bitch_.

I can only imagine how it must've looked to the people below – I probably looked like I was giving off radioactive sparks, the glow was so bright. Instead of channeling the energy and then unleashing it like last time, though, I let it grow bigger and bigger, like a rubber band pulled taut. Until finally, it just… snapped.

Taylor screamed. I could feel myself losing power, falling towards the ground, like I was watching from somewhere outside of my own body. Everything exploded into fire before my eyes, and that was the last thing I saw as my world faded to black.

* * *

**Author's Note: ****So? Was it everything you'd expected it to be? ;-)**

**Before anyone asks, yes, I did copy Taylor's outfit verbatim from Diaspro's, along with the attacks. But hey, we only see Diaspro transform once, for like 5 minutes, so it barely counts, right? And come on, how was I supposed to get a fairy outfit for her from one of you without spoiling the secret?**

**Speaking of spoiling secrets, hands up if you thought that Miriam was related to Taylor/a bad guy of any sort. (You don't count, E!) I'm still surprised I managed to keep you all on your toes for so long. But don't be so quick to write her off. Next chapter, we get to see more about Miriam, and perhaps redeem her a bit. She will feature prominently in book 3, so keep that in mind.**

**An _enormous_ shout-out to Ember, who designed Alyssa's amazing fairy outfit. And while I'm on that note, happy birthday E! Isn't this the best birthday present ever? ;-)**

**Kisses!**

**- Authoress**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

_What… what's going on? Where am I?_

Everything around me was a bright, blinding white. I twisted and turned frantically, trying to find something – anything – to give me some perspective, but there was nothing but the vast expanse of… whiteness.

_Where _am_ I?_

Familiar voices were talking – I could hear them, but barely, as if they were speaking underwater. And so far away…

"…expected to make a full recovery…"

"…said it's a miracle she hasn't sustained any more injuries…"

"…grateful she's alive…"

"I want to talk to my daughter! Now!"

"She'll wake up when she's ready…"

The voices suddenly started moving, getting farther and farther away from me. I strained, trying to concentrate, willing myself to stay, but it was so hard. I was so tired…

_Yes, when I'm ready…_

Then there was nothing but the white, endless burning bright light, and I surrendered to it, letting myself fall back into the nothingness and white noise.

* * *

I woke to darkness, which was like being doused in cold water after the overwhelming white. Something was different this time, though – I could _feel_ things. This wasn't just taking place in my mind – I was back in the physical world, for real.

It took me a minute to realize that the darkness was behind my eyes, not in front of them – that I was conscious, but my eyes were still closed. Struggling, I tried to open them, but they suddenly weighed a thousand tons. No matter how hard I tried, they remained, stubbornly, closed.

Desperation pooled off me in puddles big enough to swim in. I was _not_ going back to that never-ending white. With all the strength I could muster, I focused on getting my eyelids to open. Every cell ached with the effort, but I refused to give up. At last, I felt my eyelashes flutter, and then slowly, my eyes blinked open, taking in my surroundings.

"Alyssa?" I turned to see Lola, draped over an uncomfortable-looking plastic chair in what seemed to be a sleeping position. Her hazel eyes were sleepy, but when they noticed mine were open, they shot up so fast I wouldn't have believed it was possible. "A-Are you really awake?"

"Ngh– yeah." I rubbed my eyes, an enormous yawn overtaking my mouth. "What… what happened to me?"

Lola didn't seem to hear me, or if she did, she didn't bother responding. Immediately, she whipped out her phone and jabbed at buttons lightning-fast, yelling, "She's awake! Alyssa's awake! Everyone, get your butts in here ASAP!"

I chuckled slightly under my breath, pulling myself into a sitting position as best as I could, considering the way my muscles ached and groaned with every movement. A somewhat funny memory of trying to get up the morning after my party, stricken with the worst hangover in the history of the world (or at least, that's how it felt!), flashed through my mind, followed by a startling, sobering thought.

"What day is this?" I asked Lola, panic starting to creep into the edges of my voice. Time was meaningless in the white void, so I had no way of knowing how long I had been there, and the blinds on the hospital room window were drawn shut, giving me no glimpses to the outside world or clues to the time of day.

"Late Sunday evening," Lola said, noticing the panicked expression on my face. "You've been out for the better part of the day, but it wasn't a _true_ coma, the doctors said." Then she changed tacks. "You really scared us, 'Liss. When Faragonda found you, she said your powers were almost completely drained, that she could see your life force slipping away. We all thought you were going to die."

I swallowed, her words painting a mental picture that was anything but pretty. (It made me very glad I'd been passed out at the time.) "You're here," I said suddenly, memories of the events before my accident rushing back at full speed. "You're here, in the hospital – worried, about me. But just last night you all but said you hated me, and walked out of my birthday ball."

Lola paled. Her color returned shortly, but the guilt never left her eyes. "We all said a lot of things we didn't mean last night," she said finally, coming over to sit on the side of my bed. "But… you're the closest thing I have to a sister, 'Liss. And seeing you, so close to death – I couldn't imagine my life without you in it." Tears glittered in the corners of her eyes, sparkling in the harsh fluorescent lights.

I reached out and grabbed her hand, squeezing tightly. For the first time, I noticed that her usually impeccably manicured fingernails – still in a bright fuchsia-pink, to match her party dress – were chipping and ragged, the nails showing telltale signs of biting and the cuticles picked raw. "You're like my sister too, L."

"And Sleeping Beauty finally awakens!" Mel exclaimed, immediately filling the room with her usual vibrant energy the second she set foot inside. "Welcome back to the land of the living, 'Liss." Aqua filed in behind her, Dee and Ivy clustering in front of the bed.

"It's good to be back, trust me," I joked, propping myself up higher on the pillows and smiling at my friends. I was relieved to see nothing but relief and gratitude on their faces; clearly, they were in agreement with Lola on the we-all-said-things-we-didn't-mean-last-night thing. (And the near-death experience didn't hurt, I'm sure.) I ran my fingers through my hair a couple times, acutely aware of how much of a mess I must've looked like. "Hey, aren't we missing someone? Where's Miriam?"

Beside me, Lola tensed, while Mel and Aqua exchanged a look of mixed horror and pity. Ivy's eyes widened. Dee's jaw clenched.

And in my fractured memory, another piece fell into place, and I inhaled sharply as the truth came back to me, hitting like a tidal wave.

_"Your precious Miriam is my _cousin_… She's been working for _me_ this whole year… Sorry to burst your bubble, but she's not your friend."_

I saw Lola take a deep breath and open her mouth, starting to say something. But thankfully, at that exact moment, my mom whooshed into the room, cutting off all other conversation completely. "Alyssa, sweetheart, you're awake!" she exclaimed, rushing to my side, throwing her arms around my neck, and squeezing me tightly.

I buried my face in her hair, inhaling the crisp cucumber-and-green-apple notes of her… perfume? This was certainly a change from the practically comatose state I had left her in this morning. When she released me, I saw almost no trace of the heartbroken woman who'd cried herself to sleep on the kitchen floor in last night's party dress. She was showered and dressed, looking a lot more put-together than I did, I assumed, in her dark jeans, high-heeled boots, and a deep purple cowl-neck sweater. Her hair was blown out and straightened, there was a trace amount of makeup on her heart-shaped face, and she was even wearing jewelry – a pair of big silver hoop earrings.

"You've really got to stop doing this, sweetheart," she said, shaking her finger at me in mock anger, her eyes shining with real sadness. "The hospital staff are starting to know us by name."

Despite everything, I couldn't help but laugh. "It's not like I wouldn't rather be _anywhere_ else," I replied, my voice getting stuck in my throat a couple times. I reached for her hand, resting on the bed rail, and squeezed it tightly. She looked down, then smiled and squeezed back.

"How's the most accident-prone girl in all of the realms?" My eyes bugged as I heard a familiar deep voice make its' presence known, but they just about popped out of my head as Dad came to stand behind Mom, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her against him. "Bloom, why didn't you tell me she was awake?"

"You didn't get Lola's message?" Mom blinked, then her expression changed into more of a teasing tone. "Oh yes, you refuse to carry a cell phone."

"The two most important people in my life, I can contact through Dragon Fire telepathy. Why would I need one of those infernal devices?"

Mom laughed. "You and your stubborn, old-fashioned ways." She twisted her body so she was facing him and reached up to give him a long, deep kiss.

This entire exchange was making my head spin. "Will someone _please_ tell me what's going on here?" I demanded finally, feeling like I was going to explode if I didn't get some answers soon. "This morning, you two were about to split up, and now you're acting like nothing ever happened. What is the deal?"

Dad's eyes flickered with an indescribable emotion. "Girls, can you give us some privacy, please?" he asked, motioning to my friends, clustered at the foot of my bed and against the wall. "There are some things that Bloom and I would like to talk about with Alyssa, as a family."

Lola took the hint. "Come on, girls," she said, turning on her heel towards the door. "We should get some food."

"I'm not eating hospital cafeteria slop," Mel insisted, as she followed Lola out the door, the others trailing along behind her.

When Dee's bright pink bob had disappeared from sight, Dad got up and closed the door, while Mom pulled up a chair next to my bedside. "Do you need anything, honey?" Mom asked, taking my hand again. "Some water, food, painkillers, more blankets…"

"What I _need_ is some answers," I snapped, yanking my hand away from hers. She paled, and I instantly felt bad, but at the same time, I knew I was justified in being upset. Why did it seem like my parents always kept so many secrets from me? "Why did you send my friends away? What do you have to tell me that couldn't be said in front of them?" A heavy dark mass gathered in the pit of my stomach as I awaited their answer.

"Alyssa, patience is a virtue," Dad chided. walking over to lean against the railing next to Mom.

"I deserve some answers here! What happened to me? Why did I lose consciousness? Where is Taylor now? And what the hell is going on with you two?"

"Your powers were overexerted in that final attack, the one that subdued Taylor," Mom started slowly. "They were almost completely drained by the time we got you here. You have a broken leg and a few cracked ribs, although with the wonders of medicinal magic, you won't be nearly as debilitated as you might have been if we were on, say, Earth. The nurses said you'll have to take it easy for a while, but they guaranteed us you'll be back to full health within a few weeks' time."

"And Taylor?"

"Was taken away, kicking and screaming, in power-inhibitor cuffs," Dad drawled, sounding like the cat that had got the canary. "That is, she was kicking and screaming once she woke up. You knocked her out pretty good, sweetheart. I'd say I'm proud of you, but your mother would probably slap me."

Mom rolled her eyes, and, true to form, whacked him lightly on the shoulder. Dad chuckled and kissed her forehead.

"Now _what_ is going on between the two of you?" I demanded. "_Please_ tell me you're not splitting up."

A tense, awkward silence filled the room, dragging on for what seemed like hours (although in all honesty, it was probably just like thirty seconds). "No, we are not," Mom said finally, and I let out the breath I hadn't even realized I'd been holding.

"Thank God," I sighed. "So this morning has been totally forgiven and forgotten?"

"That's a little bit too much to ask for," Dad remarked wryly, coming to stand behind Mom in her plastic chair. "I'm not letting this one get off that easily–" he swatted Mom playfully on the shoulder "but I did realize that I grossly overreacted this morning. What can I say – I don't like sharing the things I care about, and the fact that it was _Sky_ certainly didn't help any." He scowled briefly, and Mom reached up and squeezed his hand. "But when I got the call that you were in the hospital… You and your mother are my world, Alyssa, and this made me realize just how much I need both of you. I'm more sorry than you can possibly imagine that I let jealousy blind me to that fact."

"In your father's defense, I was partially at fault for this, too," Mom admitted, interlocking her fingers with Dad's. "I should've seen the signs, should've known that Sky might try something like this." She sighed. "Nothing's been swept under a rug by any means, but we're going to survive. The two of us have faced much bigger obstacles than this, after all."

"So… what are you going to do about Sky?" I asked Mom, biting my bottom lip.

Dad's eyes narrowed slightly, and I saw his grip on Mom's fingers tighten. If she noticed, she didn't appear affected. "I don't know. Something has to be done; it's not like I can just leave everything hanging out there like this, what with you and Ryan and all. But I'll figure it out later. Right now, I just want to put this whole thing behind us." She let go of Dad's hand, sighing almost wistfully."Poor guy. It's almost sweet, how he's carried a torch for me for so long. But there's a reason we didn't work out in high school – he's just not my type."

"Oh, really? And what is this _type_, then, pray tell?" Dad teased, all traces of his previous anger gone.

"Powerful dark wizards with hearts that match their eyes," she responded easily, tilting her head backwards to meet his lips in a kiss. I averted my eyes as the kiss went on and on, until I eventually had to throw my pillow at them.

"You guys! Hello, sick daughter still in the room?" Dad laughed and threw the pillow back at me. "So that's it, then? Is that what was such a big deal to tell me – that you're _not_ splitting up?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mom freeze, her mouth set in a tense line. "Yes," Dad said, shooting her a look. "That's all."

"But Baltor–"

"Not now, Bloom," he said, addressing Mom. "We should let her rest. Now's not the right time."

_Right time for what?_ I wondered. I was about to protest, when something in my mind connected with him having said "rest" and alerted me to the fact that I was suddenly exhausted. Unable to fight it, I let out an enormous yawn.

"Get some rest, honey," Mom said finally, reaching out to smooth some of my hair. "We'll be right here when you wake up, and then you can go back to Alfea and see your friends."

Yawning again, I nodded, then slumped down onto the pillow. My eyes closing gratefully, I descended back into the darkness, this time unafraid of what might be waiting for me on the other side.

* * *

I paused at the threshold of my room, almost afraid to step inside. It was the next day – a Monday, so classes were going on, but I had been given permission from Faragonda to skip, due to my "extenuating circumstances". (Sounded like an awfully sugarcoated way of putting things, but whatever.) After being kept overnight for "observation" and put through a ridiculous amount of tests, I'd finally been released from the hospital an hour ago.

Mom had offered to let me stay at home for a few days, to recuperate, but I'd insisted I was well enough to go back to Alfea. Mostly, I just didn't know how well I'd function sitting around the palace all day, all by myself, with no one to talk to but my parents. Yes, Alfea was by far the better option, despite the rumor mill that had to be cranking out of control by now.

Yet now that I was actually here, standing in the common area, hand frozen over the door handle, I was starting to rethink the 'brilliance' of my plan.

Because somehow, I had forgotten to factor Miriam into my decision.

In all the craziness surrounding the aftermath of my fight with Taylor, I'd barely had any time to think about the bombshell she'd dropped _before_ we'd started hurling magic at each other. But now, all alone with my thoughts, there was nothing but time.

I couldn't help rethinking everything – replaying every encounter in my head, kicking myself for not catching times when she looked guilty or worried or suspicious. For not believing Lola, Aqua, and Mel when they'd tried to tell me something was off about her. For failing to catch the signs myself – especially that goddamn phone call!

In hindsight, of course, it was glaringly obvious. How had I ever trusted her? _Why_ had I been so stupid, so quick to take her side over my other friends? She must've been tickled pink when they all ditched me at my party – perfect opening for Taylor to swoop in. At this point, I wouldn't have been surprised to find out that she had manipulated Sky into kissing Mom – she would know him, after all, being his niece – or brought Alexa to Alfea specifically to break up my relationship with Ryan.

And now there was every chance she was behind that door, her wide-eyed innocent act (how had I never seen through that?) all prepared, along with some excuse for why she hadn't been to see me in the hospital. Just the thought of seeing her again made my stomach churn.

But I couldn't very well stay frozen by the door in the common area (not the least of which the doctors had warned me against any prolonged periods of standing or putting pressure on my injured leg). So I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, opened the door, and walked into… an empty room.

Literally.

Of course, my stuff was still there, but Miriam's half of the room was completely empty. The standard Alfea twin bed was stripped of her turquoise and white bedding, her shag throw rug and vaguely cubic-looking furniture had disappeared, there were little holes in the wall where her posters used to hang, the closet was empty, her textbooks were piled in a neat stack on her desk, which was devoid of all her crap…

It was as if she had never even been here.

I stepped further into the room, still not convinced that I wasn't dreaming all of this. Cautiously, I walked towards the now-empty side of the room, examining everything thoroughly. There really was no evidence that another person had lived here for the entire year – except for the faintest lingering scent of her perfume.

I could feel a headache coming on, so I headed back over to my side of the room, collapsing onto my bed backwards with a sigh. The flowery perfume scent pervaded all of my senses, and in my mind Taylor and Miriam appeared, blurring together until they seemed to be one person.

_Whatever greater power is up there must have a sick sense of humor – or just _really_ loves playing with me._

I tried breathing deeply and clearing my mind, but sleep stubbornly refused to come. Groaning, I rolled over onto my side… and heard a crunch as I felt myself land on something.

Interest immediately peaked, I quickly shifted so I could see what it was that had made the crunch – a plain white envelope, unmarked and unsealed. It smelled like flowers.

Carefully, I opened the envelope and pulled out a sheet of paper. Scrawling across it, in rushed-looking strokes of pen, was Miriam's familiar loopy script.

My breath caught in my throat.

_Dear Alyssa,_

_ If you're reading this, it means the secret's out. So although you most likely hate me right now, there's something you need to know._

_ Yes, I came to Alfea with the intention of spying for Taylor. Yes, I reported things back to her. Yes, I gave her the code to the protection bubble. I'm ashamed to admit that I did these things, but it's the truth._

_ Why did I do it, then, if I know it was wrong? For better or for worse, Taylor is my family. And before I came to Alfea, I didn't know any better – I believed her when she twisted the truth to her advantage, told me lies about you that made her look like the victim. Now, though, I know that she's a psychopath, and seriously unhinged. That doesn't erase what I've done, but it's something._

_ I came to Alfea as Taylor's spy. But along the way, something unexpected happened – you and your friends took me in. I didn't lie about being home-schooled; Alfea was my first experience with being around so many other girls my age, and it was more than a little overwhelming at first. But you – you accepted me unconditionally, even when the other girls were wary (and rightly so, considering what I was here to do). You defended me fiercely, even at the expense of your other relationships. You gave me the benefit of the doubt, which is something I definitely didn't deserve._

_ You were the best friend I've ever had – and probably ever will have – and how did I repay you? By lying, keeping secrets, and helping my cousin try to kill you._

_ So now I'm going to make things right._

_By the time you find this, I'll already be gone. And I'm not coming back. I don't quite know where I'll go, but I'm going to stay away. So don't go looking for me._

_I'm more sorry than you can possibly imagine for playing even a small part in Taylor's crazy scheme. She's going to get everything that's coming to her, and she'll never bother you again – that I can promise you._

_If I could do things over again, and erase what I did, I would do it in a heartbeat, no matter the price. You are the strongest, most kind-hearted and courageous person I've ever met, and I wish more than anything that I could deserve a friend like you._

_I'll never forget you._

_Love,_

_Miriam_

What felt like the beginning of tears stung the corners of my eyes as I finished reading the letter, and I swallowed hard, reaching up to wipe them away. _This… she… I…_

"Knock-knock," Lola exclaimed singsong-y, poking her head through my open door. "Yoo-hoo, Alyssa, are you there?"

Hearing her voice startled me from my thoughts, and I quickly shoved the letter under my pillow. Don't ask me why I felt like I had to hide it – all I knew was at that moment, I didn't want to talk about Miriam with anyone.

"Come in!" I called, yanking my overnight bag up off the floor and starting to unpack, making it look like that was what I had been doing all along.

"There you are," she said, flouncing into the room in a pale pink tank top and pink-and-orange-and-yellow plaid short-shorts, her blond hair pulled up in a high ponytail but still managing to fly wildly behind her. "Do you need anything, sweetie? Are you hungry? I could go get you something from the cafeteria."

"I'm good for now, thanks." I shoved handfuls of clothes into my dresser drawers, not really bothering to sort things out. "How were classes?"

"_Crazy_," she sighed, flopping down onto my bed and sprawling across it on her stomach, her head propped up on her hands so she could watch me. "All anyone wanted to talk about was you and Taylor. Palladium lost his cool and actually threw a pen at Chloe and Nikita. It was insane."

"Sounds… interesting," I ventured.

"Did you see the latest?" At first I was confused, until Lola pointed to the vase on my nightstand. "They're pretty, aren't they?"

Abandoning interest in my unpacking, I reached out and fingered one of the petals. The vase was filled with a gorgeous arrangement of long-stemmed pink and white roses, surrounded by dark green leaves for art effect. Every single rose was thorn-less, which must've been quite expensive. "This is so sweet. Who are they from?"

Lola's eyebrows arched. "He didn't send a card, then? Well, I would've thought it would be obvious – Lover Boy's trying to make amends."

The petal I had been stroking gently suddenly found itself crushed to pieces in my palm. "These are from Ryan?"

"Duh." Lola twirled a piece of hair around her finger, bringing her legs up behind her like a little kid. "He's got good taste in flowers, I'll give him that."

"Do you want them, then? Because I don't want these things anywhere near me."

"Oh 'Liss, don't be like that. Ryan's a good guy. The thing at your party was all a misunderstanding."

"And pray tell, what gives you the authority to say that?" I stared at her disbelievingly.

"He came by the hospital while you were unconscious. To be fair, Ivy had to physically restrain Mel, but then he explained the whole thing, Dee used her little lie-detector bug thingie, and his story checks out. It was all Alexa's doing. God only knows how she weaseled her way into your party, but that's another story." Lola sat up, looking serious for the first time since she'd entered my room. "I know it's hard for you to believe, but he was _really_ torn up about all of this. _Especially_ since it was his sister who's now twice tried to kill you. Take him back." She grinned. "All that guilt means you'll get some pretty fabulous jewels."

"Lo_la_!" I exclaimed, whacking her playfully on the shoulder, which sent her sprawling back across my bed.

"Just making sure you've still got a sense of humor after all this," she insisted, laughing. Her tone suddenly turned serious again. "Seriously, though, 'Liss, don't be so closed-minded. He really cares about you, and I know you care about him too. Don't let one stupid mistake ruin what was such a good thing."

I pursed my lips, already starting to feel the after-effects of such a long and trying day. "I'll… I'll think about it, Lo," I said finally, dropping down onto the bed next to her. "Right now, can you just leave me alone for a little while? I'm so, so tired."

"Of course." She hopped up and straightened the hem of her top a bit, plucking a bit of dust off her shoulder. "You gonna come down to dinner, or should I just bring you something?"

"Can you bring me something, please? I really don't want to face the masses right now." I closed my eyes and let my head loll backwards, the darkness already starting to infringe on the edges of my mind.

"Will do." She bent down and kissed my forehead gently. "I hope you feel better soon, Alyssa. We'll all be here for you whenever you're ready to talk."

"Mmm-hmm." My mind swirling with everything that had happened today – Miriam, the letter, Lola, Ryan, the flowers… – I drifted off into an uneasy sleep.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

"Alyssa?" Ivy stepped tentatively inside my room, her wet hair wrapped in a pale pink towel-turban and her body wrapped in a darker pink towel, revealing her slim tanned shoulders. "Are you awake?"

Resisting the urge to groan, I rolled over onto my side, propping my head up on my hands to make eye contact with her. "What is it, Ives?"

"Just… checking in." She took a few more steps into the room, still keeping a reasonable distance between the two of us. "Are you feeling okay, sweetie?"

"A little tired, maybe, and I can feel a bit of a headache coming on, but nothing unusual." I had to force myself to keep any hint of sarcasm or disdain out of my voice; this was Ivy, after all – sweet, unassuming, empathetic Ivy – and she could only mean well. All the same, it did get annoying having my friends constantly checking in on me all the time.

Not that I could really blame them for being concerned. In the weeks since Miriam's betrayal and subsequent disappearance, I'd slowly started withdrawing from the social scene, preferring to spend most of my time curled up in bed thinking. My appetite had diminished, and I had trouble sleeping – every time I closed my eyes, I saw Miriam or Taylor (and sometimes both), taunting me, tormenting me.

Mel dragged me to Nurse Ophelia a couple weeks ago, and insisted she check if there was something medically wrong with me. But all Ophelia said was that it was most likely just residual shock, and there was nothing she could do – that it would wear off on its own, given the right amount of time. After that, the girls had ramped up their efforts to make me feel comfortable and happy – weekly movie nights, baking cookies, trips to Magix, pots of Ivy's special aromagictherapy teas…

Nothing worked. Sure, I could see how depressed it made _them_ feel that I was acting like this, and so I tried to make an effort to smile a little more when they were around, but it was only for show. Inside, I still felt hollow and numb, like I had ever since finishing reading Miriam's letter. Deep down, I wondered if I'd _ever_ feel normal again, or if this change in me would be permanent.

Ivy hovered awkwardly in the space between my bed and the door. "Was there something else you wanted?" I asked finally.

Her eyes flickered briefly to my navy yoga pants and wrinkled white tee with a colorful graphic-print design of a wave on it (a gift from Aqua), then back to my eyes. "Um… nothing," she said finally. "Just wanted to make sure you were alright."

"Well, I'm fine." I forced a smile for her benefit. "You got a date tonight or something?" I asked, gesturing to her towels – more to be polite than out of any genuine interest.

Her eyebrows briefly shot up, but just as quickly her face was composed again. "Uh… something like that." She blushed, turning on her heel and heading back towards the door.

_Weird…_ I thought, returning to my book.

Not even ten minutes later, the door opened again, and Mel bounced into my room (apparently having forgotten her manners – no knock). "Alyssa!" she exclaimed, bounding over to my bedside and yanking at my hands, causing me to totally lose my place in the book. "_What_ are you doing still in your sweats?"

"Uh… having a quiet night in with my book?" I stared at her incredulously, noticing that her blue eyes were shadowed with silver and lined with thick black eyeliner, her lips filled in a glossy deep rose, and her pale skin shimmering with a luminescent sparkle. Her long dark hair was parted down the middle and pulled up in her signature high pigtails, and diamond studs sparkled from her earlobes. "What are _you_ doing tonight? And why do you look so fancy?"

She stepped back and twirled a bit, allowing me to take in her short black sequined V-neck halter dress. It had an open back, showing off more of Mel's perfect porcelain skin, and there were several inches' worth of black feathers trimming the hem. Stylish without being too trendy, glamorous without being over-the-top, a touch old-school, and a little bit out there – _very_ Mel. "Isn't it _lovely_?" she cooed, twisting so the feathers tickled her legs. "I couldn't believe my luck when I found it last weekend. And just in the nick of time, too."

"Mel, where are you going tonight?" I repeated, staring daggers at her. I'd never known my level-headed, music-obsessed tomboy friend to act so… _girly_, over a dress. She sounded like _Lola_.

Her jaw dropped. "To the end of the year dance, silly! And why aren't you getting ready?"

This time, I didn't resist the urge to groan, and slumped backwards onto my pillow. "Ugh… Mel, I'm _really_ not up for it this year. I think I'm just going to stay here." The idea of putting on a dress and heels and going out to party right now did not sound appealing. Besides just not being in the mood _at all_, there was a good chance I'd be forced to confront some demons, which was the last thing on my mind right now. I rolled over onto my stomach and buried my face in the pillow, closing my eyes as if to block out the very thought of the dance.

"Oh no you're not, missy." A new voice joined the conversation – _Lola_. I'd barely inhaled a whiff of her sugary-sweet perfume when a hand grabbed my shoulder and yanked me up backwards, out of the pillow. I looked up to see Lola staring daggers at me. Her dress was deep purple and one-shouldered, with a short layered ruffled taffeta skirt, and she'd paired it with the crystal-covered stilettos she'd worn to my party. A diamond tennis bracelet was clasped around her skinny wrist, and her hands were on her hips in a very dictatorial fashion. "You are going to the dance."

"Lo-_la_!" I whined, flopping back onto the bed. "Why is it so hard for you guys to understand this? I. Don't. Want. To. Go. Period. End of story. Now get out of my room."

Mel sighed. "Come on, 'Liss, it's not healthy to sit in here reading all the time. You need to get out, be with other people."

"I am _not_ going to the dance and that is final."

"Don't make me do something I'm going to regret," Mel said, looking fierce.

I groaned. "Why are you guys pushing me on this? I thought you wanted me to be happy."

"That's exactly _why_ we're doing it, 'Liss," Lola said, sitting down on the bed next to me. "We're worried about you. All you do these days is sit in here reading. It can't be good for you. You're never going to get better if you keep wallowing like this."

I rolled my eyes, but swung my legs over the side of the bed onto the floor. "Alright, _fine_. I'll go."

Lola squealed, jumping up and starting to root through my closet. "Here," she said after several moments, whipping something blue on a hanger at me. "Wear this."

I caught the garment she threw at me, examining it closely. It was a short sleeveless deep blue V-neck mini-dress, surprisingly simple for Lola to have picked it out. Nevertheless, I stripped off my yoga pants and T-shirt and exchanged them for the blue dress, the satin feeling cool against my skin.

Almost on autopilot – like riding a bike again after not riding for a long time – I drifted over to my vanity table and started searching through my jewelry. Scanning the tangle of silver and gold chains and charms, I pulled out what was a recent addition: a slim silver chain with a silver pendant shaped like a phoenix rising from flames. It had been a present from my parents; it was supposed to be symbolic – you know, with the whole 'rising from the ashes' thing. Regardless, it was a very pretty necklace, and I'd yet to wear it – I'd basically been living in sweats and T-shirts for the past few weeks. I undid the clasp and reached to slide it around my neck.

"No!" Lola shouted, reaching her hand out as if to yank the necklace off my neck. I looked at her like she'd just grown an extra head (that did actually happen once, in Transformations… it's a long story). "I mean… you shouldn't wear a necklace with that dress, 'Liss. It'll ruin the whole line."

I gave her another funny look, but sighed and dropped the necklace back into my jewelry box. If Lola didn't want me to wear a necklace for whatever ridiculous reason, I didn't have the energy to fight her on this. Despite having agreed to go to the stupid dance, I was already counting the minutes until I could make a break for it and come back to my room.

Plucking my brush from off the vanity, I ran it through my hair a couple times, not caring enough to do anything else with it. Somehow, though, my normally unruly hair had fixed itself into sexily messy bed-head-style curls. To appease Lola (who I could feel watching me over my shoulders), I swiped on some mascara and lip gloss, dotting a little bit of my favorite perfume on my wrists and neck. The sweet, fruity scent was invigorating, bringing back memories of better times. Slipping my feet into a pair of simple flat gold sandals (the first shoes I saw), I examined myself in the mirror, at the last minute deciding to add a touch of blush to my cheeks, which looked almost ghostly pale and garishly contrasted with my bright red mane of hair.

Turning to Lola, she looked me up and done and then nodded. "Not ideal, but it'll do," was her final assessment, before she spun on her ridiculously high heels (seriously, I have _no_ idea how she walks in those things) and walked back out into the common room.

Mel walked over to me. "You'll have a good time tonight, 'Liss. It'll be just what the doctor ordered." I just nodded, not wanting to burst her bubble.

Aqua appeared in the doorway of my room, leaning against the wall. Her chocolate-brown curls had been straightened, falling down her back in a gleaming pin-straight curtain, and it looked as if she had new copper-colored highlights. She wore a sleeveless midnight-blue mini-dress, with a flowy chiffon skirt that reached mid-thigh and a scoop-necked bodice covered in thousands of tiny little sparkles. The color popped against her toffee-colored skin, which was further accented by bronzer and sparkly copper eye shadow. My most tomboy friend looked like she had walked off a runway. "You look… wow…" I stuttered.

Aqua's lips curled up into a smirk. "Clean up nice, don't I?" She ran one hand down the length of her body, as if admiring herself. "It's still _me_ in here, though, don't worry," she added, sticking out her foot so I could admire her metallic copper gladiator sandals – which were refreshingly heelless. "Lola had these snakeskin platforms she wanted to loan me – but they were like five inches high! How could I dance in those things?" I laughed.

"Yes, you look amazing, Aqua," Mel agreed, plucking a stray hair off her roommate's shoulder. "Now will you get out of the door already? Alyssa here is about to leave her room for the first time in weeks."

"Hey! That is not true!" I sputtered indignantly, as Mel and Aqua chuckled.

"There you are, 'Liss," Dee exclaimed, grabbing my hand and literally pulling me out into the common area. "I need your opinion on my dress." Stepping back, she did a little twirl for me. "You like it? I was sort of inspired by the dress you wore to the dance at the beginning of the year."

"Very nice," I said, looking her over up and down. She was wearing an orangey-gold satin knee-length cocktail-style dress with spaghetti straps and a slightly flared skirt that had an inch or so of dark orange tulle peeking out from the hem. The only makeup she wore was bright fuchsia lip gloss that matched her hair, which was chopped nape of the neck short into an edgy, asymmetrical long bob – yet another dramatic hairstyle change that I had missed, apparently. My heart ached slightly, as I realized exactly how much I did miss hanging out with the girls – talking and laughing without a care in the world.

But how could I act like nothing had happened this year, that I was still that same carefree girl? _Answer: I can't_. I sighed, hating the growing (emotional) distance between the rest of my friends and I more than ever.

Ivy stepped out of her room, resplendent in a sleeveless leaf-green chiffon dress with iridescent blue-green sequins on the shoulder straps and in a belt at the empire waist, and a short flowy skirt that had blue tulle overlay. Her golden-brown hair was pulled back in a long, loose braid that draped down her back, plaited with little blue flowers. Her face lit up when she saw me. "Alyssa! You're going after all!"

"Not exactly by choice," I grumbled, wincing as Mel nudged me sharply in the back with her elbow.

Lola appeared at my side and looped her arm through mine. "You're going to have a good time tonight, 'Liss," she said earnestly, leveling me with her hazel eyes, which seemed to glow, courtesy of her daring purple liner. "I promise."

I bit my lip to keep from telling her that she'd just made an impossible promise.

* * *

An hour later, I found myself on the fringes of the dance floor, watching as my friends shimmied and twirled in the center, commanding attention as always. I'd managed to beg off on the excuse of needing a bathroom break, and now was quite content to watch rather than participate. Thankfully, none of them had spotted me yet, so I was able to lurk on the edges rather than be dragged back there.

The dance had been everything I'd expected it to be – lots of Alfea girls in pretty dresses twirling with Red Fountain boys in various interpretations of formalwear; teachers watching with eagle eyes from the sidelines, just waiting to bust anyone for "inappropriate conduct"; a refreshments table with the requisite watery punch and stale cookies; the cool night air heavy with the scents of mingled perfumes and colognes, blending together to create what some people might've called the smell of "love in the air". (Me, I just found it sickening.) People who noticed me gave me some funny looks (apparently my fight with Taylor hadn't yet been displaced by something juicier in the gossip mill), but eventually, everyone stopped gawking and went back to dancing. Still, I was not-so-surreptitiously checking the clock every five minutes or so, trying to figure out when would be an acceptable time to slink up to my room and hide for the rest of the night.

"_There_ you are, 'Liss," Lola exclaimed, appearing in front of me seemingly from out of nowhere, and yanking at my hand, pulling me back into the crush. "I was wondering where you'd wandered off to."

"Lola, I really don't feel up to dancing right now. I think I'm getting a little nauseous. I was just about to go lie down…" My protests fell on deaf ears, as she jostled me through the crowd towards the others. From there, I was passed from friend to friend, each one of them giving me an interesting reaction – Ivy's shy smile, Dee's knowing eyes, Mel's devious smirk, Aqua's mischievous giggle – until finally, I found myself shoved into the arms of a black-jacket-clad guy.

Pausing for a second to catch my breath, I looked up to see who my rescuer was – and promptly lost the ability to speak as my eyes met a pair of familiar blue irises.

"R-Ryan?" I sputtered.

He smiled, touching his finger to his head like he was tipping an imaginary top hat. "The one and only, at your service," he said, with an exaggerated posh accent. I couldn't help but giggle, despite the fact that I was supposed to be mad at him.

Over my shoulder, I saw Lola wink and give him a thumbs-up sign. "Tell me the truth, Ry–" pang in my heart at using his old nickname "did you set this up?"

He grinned sheepishly. "Guilty as charged." A slow song came on, and he wrapped his arms around my waist. "Dance with me, Alyssa? Just once?"

I sighed, but slid my arms around his neck and leaned my head against his chest, as we slowly swayed in place. Closing my eyes, I inhaled the scent of his cologne, and for a moment was drawn back to last year, in this exact same position – the two of us, dancing at the farewell dance, me feeling like I had everything in the world I could've ever wished for.

But so much had changed since then.

Reluctantly, I pulled away, putting an arm's length of distance between us. Seeing him again made my heart ache, especially when I thought about the last time I'd seen him – with Alexa clinging to him like a barnacle. That thought was enough to strengthen my resolve. "If you think this is going to win me back, Ryan, you're wrong, and you might as well leave me alone now and go find a girl who's more willing. I bet Alexa's free."

"I don't want Alexa. I want you." The sincerity in his voice and in his eyes left me speechless for a moment – but only a moment.

"Sure didn't look that way at my party." Not caring about the fact that we were on the dance floor with dozens of other couples, I pulled away completely and crossed my arms over my chest.

Ryan grabbed my arm and pulled me off to the side. "I swear to God, Alyssa, I did not kiss her. _She_ attacked me, and I pushed her away as soon as the shock wore off."

"Which conveniently wasn't until I showed up," I sniped.

He sighed heavily. "What do I have to say to convince you I'm telling the truth?" I bit my lip. "I care about you, Alyssa, more than I'd ever thought possible. _Please_ don't do this to me anymore."

I could feel my formerly iron resolve starting to soften, although I refused to let it show outwardly. "I just… that night was so awful for me, Ry. I wantto be able to forgive you, but I just can't get that picture of you and her out of my mind. And all that stuff with our parents…" I trailed off, following his hand as it reached into a pocket and pulled out a little dark blue velvet box, the kind that jewelry came in. My mouth went dry (and annoyingly, Lola's voice appeared in my head, saying something about 'all that guilt means you'll get some pretty fabulous jewels'. I waved her away; this was _so_ not the time).

"Will this help?" He opened the box, revealing a slender gold chain draped across a swath of velvet. A familiar heart-shaped pendant hung from it, and I let out a soft gasp of surprise.

"But I… I thought I'd ruined it!" All I could do was stare, as he pulled the chain from the box and started to work the clasp. I was too stunned to say anything as he draped it over my exposed collarbone – that Lola had talked me out of wearing a necklace on. Lola, who'd all but admitted to plotting with Ryan to get us back together. Suddenly, that entire little exchange made infinitely more sense than it had hours earlier. (Which made me feel more than a bit relieved, because unexplained, that just made Lola seem a little crazy.)

"I had it fixed. _And_ I did something else." Fumbling for the locket clasp, he opened it up to reveal the tiny picture inside. I swallowed my gasp of surprise at the recognition – it was from last year's dance, snapped by Mel without either of our awareness until after the fact. Nevertheless, it was a cute one: me perched on Ryan's lap, leaning my head back so that it fit into the curve of his shoulder; his arms wrapped loosely around my waist, head looking down so his eyes met mine. It looked like Mel had snapped us seconds before we were about to kiss, which was in fact the truth. "You like?"

"I… I don't know what to say."

His tone suddenly grew serious. "Say you forgive me, and that you'll accept the necklace again. Because I really do mean it, Alyssa. You're the only one I want, now and for the rest of my life. I… I love you."

As if I hadn't already been rendered speechless and generally incapacitated by his words so far, those three actually made my heart stop.

"I love you, Princess Alyssa of Sparx, and everything about you," he continued, almost unaware of the effect he was having on me. "I love the way your hair smells like some kind of flower, I love hearing your voice on the phone, I love letting you hide your face in my shoulders during the scary parts of the movie even though I've said multiple times I'd be happy to see a chick flick for you. I love the way you'll spend hours getting dressed up before a big event, even though you'd be just as breathtaking without all that makeup crap. I love walking through Magix holding your hand, telling all the world that this stunning, exquisite creature is mine. I love looking into your eyes – those beautiful golden eyes of yours that I know you sometimes hate but I adore because they're what makes you so special, so undeniably _you_. I love your fiery independent streak, and how you passionately defend what you care about, even if it costs you, and I love your seemingly endless compassion for the people you love, and–"

Tears were dripping down my cheeks, despite all efforts to keep them at bay, making me glad I'd barely bothered with makeup tonight. "Shut up," I managed through the tears. Ryan's face fell. "You idiot. You great enormous fool, you. Could you have picked a more inconvenient time to tell me all of this?" Ryan looked like he'd been punched in the stomach, until I pressed my body against his, slid my arms around his neck, and crashed my lips against his for the kiss to end all kisses.

When we finally pulled apart, both panting for air, he looked down at me almost like he wasn't sure that I wasn't a dream. "So am I forgiven?"

I couldn't help but laugh, even as the tears continued to fall. "_Yes_, you're forgiven, you big moron. I love you too." He smiled – a soft, sweet smile – then leaned down to kiss me again. As he pulled back, wrapping his arms loosely around my lower back, I saw a flash of dark hair out of the corner of my eye.

_Alexa_.

She was standing alone near the refreshments table, sipping a glass of punch, another full glass sitting on the table next to her. Her dark hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun, and she wore a backless white mini-dress with a low scoop neck, so tight it almost looked like a straightjacket. As I watched, her eyes seemed to settle on Ryan and I, and then they narrowed, her bright red lips pursing in obvious displeasure. I was seemingly unable to look away, and after a minute she caught my stare. Her blue eyes were cold as ice and seemed to hold an unspoken threat.

I shuddered, quickly tearing my gaze away from Alexa and looking back up at Ryan. "You okay, 'Liss?" he asked, obviously catching my shudder. "Are you thirsty? Do you want me to get you some punch?"

"No!" I cried, tightening my grip on his arms somewhat irrationally. It was a bit ridiculous to still be scared of Alexa now, after Ryan's incredibly romantic gesture, but there was something about her that set me on edge. I certainly wasn't about to give her any more opportunities if I could help it. Thankfully, another slow song came on, and I slid my arms around his neck. "Dance with me, Ry?"

"Anything for you, my love," he said, kissing me softly on the cheek. Little tingles of pleasure raced down my spine at his touch, and his use of "my love".

I closed my eyes and let myself relax in his arms, feeling all the tension of the last few weeks leave my body. Ryan's declaration had done far more than I'm sure even he'd expected – it had made me _feel_ something for the first time in a long while. And now I had hope that things might, someday soon, get back to the way they were.

"I… I know you probably don't want to talk about this, but I just want to say again that I am _so_ sorry about my insane sister, and her crazy vendetta against you. I had no idea that she would take things this far, and I–"

I opened my eyes and looked up at him. "Please, Ry – don't talk about her tonight," I pleaded softly, staring into his eyes. "I just… I don't want to think about it right now. Not when I'm the happiest I've been in way too long."

He nodded. "I understand. Forget I brought it up." He kissed my forehead.

The song ended, and Ryan departed for the snacks table to get us some punch. Alone in the middle of the dance floor, I tipped my head backwards and stared up at the night sky – the full moon, all the twinkling stars – inhaling deeply and filling my lungs with cold night air.

I don't know what's in store for me next year – my final year at Alfea. I don't know if I'll ever be the same again, after everything that's happened. I don't know how I'll learn to live with this crushing pain of Miriam's betrayal, and not let it rule my life – but I know that I will.

Because I know one thing for sure – I will survive this.

And I'm not alone.

I never will be.

* * *

**Author's Note: ****Thoughts? How was it - not just this chapter, but the entire story as a whole, now that it's finished?**

**Two books down, one to go. Honestly, I still can't quite believe I've made it this far - when I started writing What Comes Next, I don't think I ever figured that I'd actually go through with writing a trilogy. But now here we are - WPIP is done, and I've got an outline for What's Left of Me, which is the third and final book. I think I just might pull this off. Wow.**

**Thank you to all my readers who have stuck with me from book 1. An _enormous_ thank you goes to the amazing Miss Ember, for putting up with my five zillion questions and being my beta when necessary, as well as all the artwork she's done for fairy outfits and such. **

***sighs* I'm not going to cry (save the waterworks for What's Left of Me), but I do admit, saying goodbye to y'all now is definitely bittersweet. Don't worry - I'll be back before anyone has time to miss me (and that's a promise).**

**xoxo,**

**- Authoress**


End file.
